Jobs go as scrap metal dealer shuts

EDGWARE (Scrap Monster): A £10m-turnover scrap metal dealer headquartered in South Yorkshire and founded in 1982 has closed its doors with the loss of almost 50 jobs after falling into administration, Insider can reveal.

Directors from The P&A Partnership Limited, John Russell and Ashleigh Fletcher, were appointed administrators of Richard Fletcher (Metals) Ltd on 1 December 2014.

The company was a scrap metal dealer based on Newbridge Lane, Old Whittington, Chesterfield.

An associated company, R Fletcher Waste Disposal Ltd, trades from the Clement Street premises in Sheffield.

Administrators said Richard Fletcher (Metals) had been marketed for sale for some time but a purchaser could not be found. The site has now closed and the majority of the 42 employees have been made redundant.

A spokesman for the P&A Partnership said: "We are currently clearing the site and selling off the scrap metal and machinery. The site is now being marketed for sale."

In its most recently filed accounts, for the year to 30 June 2013, turnover at Richard Fletcher (Metals) fell from £14.7m to £10.9m, although the business did return to profit.

Earlier this year, Richard Fletcher (Metals) was fined following an Environment Agency investigation into a Bonfire Night blaze in 2013 which was emitting dark smoke in the direction of Chesterfield city centre.

In court, the company admitted one charge of disposing of waste in a manner likely to cause pollution or harm to human health.

Representing the company, director Richard Fletcher said in mitigation that the waste had been burned by staff who did not know that doing so was against the law.

In addition to the fine, the company was ordered to pay £3,097 in costs and a victim surcharge of £120.

Courtesy: http://www.insidermedia.com