THE director of a collapsed Herefordshire business has said that the process to pay workers' wages after they lost their jobs is underway.

The former employees of Point to Point ambulance service in Leominster spoke out when the company went bust, leaving some of them owed thousands of pounds in wages.

Simon Jenkins, one of the company directors, has addressed the controversy, and said that he is aiming for workers to be paid when legal proceedings have been carried out, but there have been delays in signing this off.

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Mr Jenkins said: "Point to Point was and continues to be jointly owned by four equal shareholders: Yon Saunders, Matthew Kilvert, Jake Flanagan and me. 

"At the time of cessation of trading, the company had two directors, me and Mr Saunders. We have diligently pursued the necessary legal procedures to expedite the resolution process, with the aim of minimising delays in disbursing funds owed to our staff. Regrettably, we have encountered delays attributable to the reluctance of other shareholders to sign requisite documents.

"Adherence to legal protocols is paramount in our actions. Any premature payroll payments would contravene legal statutes, potentially obligating staff to repay received funds along with associated insolvency practitioner costs.

"Throughout this, we have followed the advice of practitioners to navigate the process. Regrettably, the delays caused by our shareholders remain beyond our influence, despite our concerted efforts."

Hereford Times: A note left on the back of an ambulance at Point to PointA note left on the back of an ambulance at Point to Point (Image: Rob Davies)

Mr Flanagan, one of the former directors, previously spoke out about the company's insolvency process, saying: "The closure of this company has caused misery to employees. I understand it to be the case that some staff are owed two months' wages. Some staff were self-employed."

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Workers have been fighting for the unpaid wages since the company stopped trading, with Katie Powell saying she was owed around £4,000. She told the Hereford Times: "They never told us they were thinking of closing or they were in trouble.

"I received a text telling me my shift had been cancelled and an email. I was in total shock as they hadn't made us aware of this.

"We don't know when our wages will be received. They couldn't give me a date. I am owed two months' wages from December and January which is just under £4,000."

Others said they were also owed money after losing their jobs, but acknowledged that they had enjoyed their previous work for Point to Point.

Kate Weaver said she loved her job and worked with "amazing people" while Lewis Sadler, who left the company before it went bust, said he enjoyed his time at the company for the first few years he worked there.