Former City Link directors not guilty of failing to notify Business Secretary of redundancies

The three directors were acquitted Credit: ITV Central

By ITV News Central reporter Chris Halpin

Three former directors at Coventry based delivery firm City Link have been found not guilty of failing to let the government know about redundancies last Christmas.

It was alleged former Finance Director Robert Peto, Managing Director David Smith and Non Executive Director Thomas Wright failed to provide 45 days notice of dismissal for staff, when the company was placed into administration on Christmas Eve 2014.

The two day trial heard how proposals to pump £25 million into the business as part of a turnaround plan failed on December 22nd.

The prosecution argued it then became clear to the directors that redundancies would be inevitable and the firm would have to go into administration, resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs.

There were more than 2000 redundancies Credit: PA

Facing one charge under the Trade Union Consolidation Act 1992, it was alleged that the trio, acting on behalf of City Link Ltd, failed to give the Business Secretary at least 45 days notice of redundancies on December 22nd.

It argued that they should have sent off a two page form known as an HR1.

Instead the company kept trading up until Christmas Eve, at which point administrators took over, with the two page form being sent on Boxing Day.

Today a judge ruled that no plan was made on the 22nd to make redundancies, and that Robert Peto, David Smith and Thomas Wright had every hope of saving City Link and its workforce by placing the company into administration.

The three directors were acquitted of the charge.