A BOLTON company has offered a lifeline to customers who have paid deposits to a kitchen manufacturers which has collapsed.

One hundred and forty workers at Westhoughton-based Bernstein Holdings Group, known as BGH, were sacked on the spot last week when administrators were called in.

Staff turned up for work as normal on Thursday but were later sent home and told they no longer had jobs by administrators who have been brought in to cut costs and save the firm.

The rest of the 250-strong workforce have been warned they could also lose their jobs unless new buyers can be found.

Now, Alan Barrett, Design Manager, at the Bolton Kitchens Partnership (BKP) has offered to help people who have paid deposits for kitchens which are now very unlikely to be delivered and fitted.

He said BKP, which is made up of Harwood Kitchens and Roscoes Kitchen Fitting, would absorb the deposit that people had paid and offer them a kitchen of similar value.

“We are a local company and we would like to help the people who have been caught up in this.”

“There will be a lot of people who have paid deposits. If people have paid a 20 or 25 per cent deposit, we would absorb that for them. It obviously depends on the value of the kitchen and we will have to look at it on a case by case basis.”

Mr Barratt said he was confident that they would be able to help most people and perhaps even give some a better deal than they originally had.

“Nobody gets something for nothing, but at least it’s not money wasted. We are very sympathetic and we want to let people know that there’s help out there.”

Workers, suppliers and customers of BGH have spoken of their anger at company bosses who, they say, could have given more warning.

They have claimed many more businesses will now be plunged into trouble because they will never get paid for work done or goods supplied to BGH.

Some customers claim they were being allowed to pay for orders from BGH, just a day before the administrators were called in.

Administrators Price Waterhouse Cooper confirmed they had been called in by the company.

Chairman Bill Gleave, finance director Andrew Coveney, logistics director Gavin Kellitt and managing director Tony Fox all failed to reply to The Bolton News.

One worker, who asked not to be named, said Mr Gleave and other members of the senior management team were expected at the firm on Tuesday for talks.

He said: “What’s happened is a disgrace. There’s still a lot of tackle in that factory so don’t see how they can’t get these kitchens to the customers.”

Anyone interested in contacting BKP can call 01204 326225 or visit www.boltonkitchens.

co.uk pkeaveny@theboltonnews.co.uk