Job losses ‘inevitable’ after Real Crisps ‘arson attack’

Paul Allen, chief executive of the Tayto Group which owns the factory, said: “Unfortunately, it looks like redundancies will be inevitable. As yet we don’t know the extent or timescale, but feel it is only fair to our staff to give them as much warning as possible. ​

“Many of them are very skilled and we shall be working hard to make sure we don’t lose that expertise, but clearly we will not be able to transfer 115 people around the country.”​

Allen said the firm could guarantee paying salaries to the end of October. But he added: “It is much more difficult to have any concrete plans beyond that, at this stage.” ​

Some staff had already agreed to travel to the firm’s plant in Northern Ireland. Others may be moved to Corby. But Allen warned: “That cannot be anything but a very short-term solution.”​

'Devastated'​

Real Crisps confirmed that it would honour contracts with potato growers following the fire which devastated the factory on Thursday, September 20.

Meanwhile, a 30-year old employee from the Real Crisp factory appeared in Caerphilly Magistrates Court on Saturday (September 22) charged with arson.

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