Fears over pottery jobs

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Historic china and porcelain makers Royal Worcester & Spode Ltd, which dates back to the mid 18th-century, employs 388 people in the UK at sites in the Midlands.

Staff based in Stoke-on-Trent, Lymedale and Worcester produce luxury crockery under the famous brand names for customers including the Queen.

The firm blamed the situation on a failure to sell its site in Stoke-on-Trent combined with the current economic downturn.

Matthew Hammond, Rob Hunt and Mike Jervis of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP were appointed joint administrators to the company on Thursday.

The administrators said they were trying to secure a buyer for the business.

Mr Hammond, joint administrator and partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Birmingham, said: "The company has been undertaking a restructuring of its business in recent years.

"This has included reductions in overhead, transition to more cost effective outsourcing of production, relocation of warehousing, new product development and the sale of property to reduce debt.

"However, the inability to complete the proposed sale of a site of strategic importance in Stoke and the effect of the current economic downturn on sales has led to the decision by the directors of Royal Worcester & Spode Ltd to place the company into administration.

"Our immediate priority now is to review all options for the company and immediately seek a buyer for the business. During this process we will work with the company's suppliers, employees and customers to try and ensure that a solution is found to provide a structure to take the business forward."