Express web staff 'left without pay'

Staff at the former Express websites are seeking legal advice, as it emerges that they will not receive redundancy pay as the sites are put into liquidation.

The websites were sold with the Express newspapers by United Business Media ( then United News and Media) to celebrity and soft-porn magazine publisher Northern and Shell late last year.

Since then SP Investments, a vehicle set up by Seymour Pierce Stockbrokers, bought the websites for £1, with the purpose of finding a buyer for the businesses.

There will be a meeting with creditors on 19 January, joint liquidator Patrick Wadsted of HLB Kidsons, said.

"The companies who employ each of the staff have no tangible assets that can be realised, the funding of arrears of pay and holiday pay together with payment in lieu of notice will be done by the Department of Employment," Mr Wadsted said.

Employment lawyers say that if it could be proven that there was no realistic chance of SP Investments finding a buyer, then they could be open to claims from the staff.

The 46 staff were expecting a redundancy payment of about 20 weeks salary.

The staff have yet to hear officially from Seymour Pierce about the liquidation, despite phone calls to its offices.