'We were given no warning that we were about to lose our jobs,' claims Walsall factory worker

Walsall's The Electrolytic Plating Company which produced high quality surface coatings and metal finishing to the construction and motor industries went into administration on September 5 - resulting in the loss of some jobs.

Part of the business operated at the Wednesbury Road Crown Works has been bought out by Wolverhampton Electro Plating Limited based in Fordhouses and part of the Anochrome Group which also has a site in nearby Pleck.

Now one of the workers has told the Express and Star about his shock at learning that he had lost his job. The man, who does not want to be named, said: "We were given no warning that we were about to be laid off last week.

"There was no union involved.

"Some of us were called to a meeting and told to go and sign on at the Job Centre. We weren't even allowed to get personal items out of the lockers as we were told all lockers and contents belonged to the insolvency firm now.

"I was handed an Insolvency Service form advising me to claim for redundancy, but nothing else.

"Most of the workers actually left the previous day and weren't at the meeting. I'm not happy with how we've been treated."

The family run Electrolytic Plating Company was founded in Birmingham 128 years ago in 1896.

It was originally called The Electrolytic Apparatus Co designing, manufacturing and installing barrel plating systems for the saddlery, lock and construction industries.

In 1935 the family sold the patent for the barrel plating design they had invented and which is still used by factories across the world to W Canning Ltd and set up The Electrolytic Plating Company.

Last month Anochrome Ltd, in Reservoir Place, Pleck, was named by the Environment Agency as being responsible for a serious chemical spill that resulted in dead fish floating in Walsall Canal.