HIGHLY acclaimed Droitwich Spa firm Train4Security, which was started by Worcestershire's business woman of the year Esther Ruggiero, has gone into administration.

However, despite creditors being owed money, Mrs Ruggiero has already started a new business. Train4Skills was launched at the start of June, offering leadership and management training and sales courses in both Droitwich and London. It was launched shortly after its sister security training business, Train4Security, went into administration.

The latter Droitwich-based company was launched in November 1999. Run by Mrs Ruggiero and her husband Phil, it employed 23 staff and came runner-up in the most promising new business category of the Chamber of Commerce Hereford and Worcester Business awards in 2005. That same year it moved to new premises in the town after being on schedule to hit a £1.1million annual turnover.

Companies House confirmed it was notified on June 24 that Train4Security had gone into administration and Ward & Co in Worcester's Shaw Street had been made administrators.

Joint administrator Tim Heaselgrave said: "We're going to realise the assets of the company to maximise their value to be able to pay some money back to creditors."

Mrs Ruggiero was awarded the title of Worcestershire Business Woman of the Year by St Richard's Hospice last year for her contribution to the community and her husband was runner-up in the entrepreneur of the year category of the chamber's business awards this year.

The chamber's Chris Harvey said: "Obviously, companies get hit by all sorts of issues that can be outside of their control and have a destabilising effect on them.

"We're obviously very sorry when it happens to any company."

Mrs Ruggiero said the matter was in the hands of the administrators and declined to comment any further.