STUNNED employees at a Malvern company were told to leave immediately after the firm ceased trading at lunch-time on Tuesday.

Around 40 workers at the Knxus call centre on Belle Vue Terrace have been made redundant.

The news came just 24 hours before pay-day, and workers were also told they would not be paid their salary for January.

Employees say they were aware the company was involved in merger talks but in December, they had been told their jobs were safe.

It has emerged that parts of Knxus have been bought out by Contact Partners Ltd, of Hammer-smith, West London, but not the Malvern end.

Contact's business development director Pyers Tucker said concerns over Knxus's overall financial position had led to the decision not to take over the whole business.

Knxus contact centre agent Emma Nind, who has worked at the centre since it opened, said: "It's really disgusting. We've had no time to look for a new job, but they obviously knew it was going on. We're not getting paid again either. It's been let-down after let-down."

Employees were told they would be issued with packs from Payco, a company appointed by Contact Partners, telling them how to claim their due pay and benefits through the Department for Trade and Industry.

This is expected to take between six to eight weeks.

Joanne Hannon, who has worked at the company for 18 months, said: "I'm actually very gutted because like the rest of them, I have commitments coming out at the end of the month."

Sales agent Sheena Ibrahim added: "It happens all the time, but the way it's been handled is appalling. I understand it's the way of the world and you do expect it, but not in that fashion. People have now worked a full month and not been paid. It's dropped everybody in it."

Contact Partners Ltd will now take over Knxus's other call centre in Castlebar, Ireland and most elements of one in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Knxus was established two years ago and the Malvern branch opened in May 2002.

Attempts to contact a director of Knxus were unsuccessful at the time of going to press.