Large-scale redundancies at Laura Ashley

As attempts continue to save Laura Ashley operations in Newtown it has emerged that the administrators PwC have made the majority of staff permanently redundant.

Many were on furlough and some had returned to make PPE equipment for the NHS, but today a large proportion of staff were told they were being made redundant.

It comes as talks continue to raise between £5m to £10m to save the firm by its Chief Executive, Katharine Poulter. She wants to buy the stock and freehold to the sites.

The Laura Ashley brand has already been sold to a US private equity business, Gordon Brothers. But this means nothing to the Newtown company as it is simply to licence products to use the Laura Ashley name and these could be manufactured anywhere in the world.

MyNewtown has contacted the administrators for a comment.

However, it is understood the staff, many of whom have been there for years, will only get basic Government redundancy settlements.