Wedgwood confirms 367 job losses

Wedgewood's administrators have confirmed the job losses

Administrators for china and crystal maker Waterford Wedgwood have confirmed that 367 workers have lost their jobs.

The company had already announced that it was to cut 350 jobs, before it went into administration last week.

The majority of the job losses are at its site at Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent. The company employs 1,900 people in the UK and 800 in the Irish Republic.

Administrators are in advanced talks with US private equity firm KPS Capital Partners to buy most of the firm.

The business is known for its Wedgwood pottery, Royal Doulton and Waterford crystal.

'Discussions'

Angus Martin, joint administrator and reorganisation services partner at Deloitte, said: "Unfortunately it has been necessary to make 367 employees redundant."

He added: "The business will be continuing to trade as normal, and the administrators are continuing discussions with parties who have expressed an interest in purchasing the business. Every effort is being made to avoid further redundancies across the business."

The mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Mark Meredith, said redundant workers would be helped into new jobs through a retraining and support programme.

He added: "Today's announcement is a devastating blow for the workforce at Wedgwood. The whole city of Stoke-on-Trent will feel for them and their families."

Contingency funding is already in place to extend a "highly successful ceramic workers retraining programme run by the Unity trade union," he said.