MALMESBURY couple Jim and Ann Paterson are taking Ball Brother Builders Ltd of Tetbury to a tribunal to reclaim money they say they are owed after it went bankrupt.

Mr Paterson, 65, worked for the company on contract for eight years and then as a self employed worker for six years before he was made redundant in October.

Mrs Paterson, 56, of Corn Gastons, Malmesbury, said: "He was owed one week's money for every year he worked on contract and he was owed quite a lot of holiday money."

Mrs Paterson said there was no warning just a letter through the door.

She said: "I am not sure how many people work for the company but I know it's double figures. They laid off all the workers just like that."

A note to the Employment Tribunal in Bristol from Colin Ball, who ran the company with his brother Adrian, said: "Ball Brother Builders has ceased trading. A client refused to give us any more money for work and I was forced to lay everybody off. We arranged to pay them for the hours that they had worked but could not afford to pay holidays, notice in lieu or redundancy."

Mrs Paterson said the company had changed its name to Tetbury Joinery Services and had re-employed staff.