ANGRY van drivers were left without pay following the sudden closure of a Kidlington distribution depot, writes Chris Koenig.

One driver, who had been delighted to be offered work after a long period job-hunting, learned he had lost his job when he was telephoned at 2am.

The 17 drivers were laid off from work that involved distributing books and CDs around the south east for the John Menzies subsidiary THE (Total Home Entertainment), of New- castle-under-Lyme.

Det Sgt Brian Beech, of Staffordshire Police, told the Oxford Mail that THE was the subject of a police investigation into possible irregularities at its Newcastle-under-Lyme headquarters.

The drivers were employed by Network Recruitment of London Road, Headington, to work at the THE depot at the former Hartwells site in Langford Lane, Kidlington.

Former driver Bob Marchant said: "I received a telephone call at eight minutes to two from someone who said he was an under manager. He told me not to come in that morning. "Later I was told that I could not have a week's money that was due to me because the agency had still not been paid by THE.

"Then I was told that I couldn't get the money because they had sacked the manager who should have signed my work-sheet."

Network Recruitment managing director Peter Rockett told the Oxford Mail: "I appreciate that we owe money to these drivers and I want to help. But I am caught between a rock and a hard place. I cannot pay them until the hours they worked are authorised by THE."

He said THE representative who should authorise their time-sheets was no longer employed.

"Now following an injunction from us to THE to obtain the time-sheets, we are coming to an agreement with THE and arranging to settle with the drivers on Friday."

But managing director of THE, Dick Francis, said the depot was set up on a trial basis between November and January.

"Unfortunately there were some security irregularities involved in the operation which are now being investigated."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.