One of the country's best known pottery manufacturing companies has collapsed into administration.
Workers at Staffordshire-based fine-china firm, Dudson, were told their jobs were at risk this morning during a canteen meeting.
Staff turned up for their shifts at Burslem's Dudson factory in Stoke-On-Trent on Thursday morning, only to be directed to an emergency meeting.
They were told that administrators have been called in and were advised to leave the premises.
It's since emerged that 318 of Dudson's 390 employees have been made redundant with immediate affect, A further 72 have been retained to support the closure of the business.
Boots store closures - 60,000 UK jobs 'at risk' after sudden US profit warning
The news follows weeks of speculation over the firm's future, after it sold its Furlong Mills clay-making business to Portmeirion and Churchill China.
Workers told the Daily Mirror's sister title, StokeonTrentLive, their suspicious were already raised after they were paid a day early by the company.
One Dudson supervisor explained: "We were all called into the canteen this morning and told that the company was no longer trading and that we would all be made redundant.
"There are hundreds of people affected in Stoke-on-Trent and I expect that number to grow because they operate all over the world.
"We were paid our wages yesterday instead of today as we were supposed to but we still don't know what to do about holiday pay and other money that we are owed."
Union bosses have described the move as "devastating" for both the community, industry and local workers.
GMB organiser Wendy Greiveson said: “This is another devastating blow for the pottery industry.
"It is outrageous that staff were simply told the company was bust and to leave the premises with no notice whatsoever.
"Dudson has clearly failed in its duty to consult. As a result GMB will be pursuing a protective award on behalf of our members."
The British firm has been making tableware, glassware, and fine china since 1800, its collapse follows warnings this week that Boots store closures - 60,000 UK jobs 'at risk' after sudden US profit warning.
