A GOVERNMENT agency has stopped a firm from disappearing with the unpaid wages of hotel staff.

Thousands of pounds are still owed to former staff members of the Orwell Hotel, in Felixstowe, by former leaseholders Noordzee Holding Ltd.

According to Companies House, Noordzee applied for a voluntary strike-off action to dissolve itself in August but was unsuccessful 'due to an objection by the Registrar'.

It followed concerns raised by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the MP for the town, that the company was trying to disappear without paying the money it owed, leading to the Government agency stepping in to suspend the request.

She said: "So many local people worked hard at the Orwell Hotel in good faith that they would be paid for the work they did but some have been waiting for over three years with nothing to show for it.

"It's really not small change, it's a really big amount of money for those that have lost out.

"I really don't think they should just be able to dissolve with people's money."

MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter

Ms Riddell-Carpenter said at least £24,000 was owed to 13 staff members, but the real number was most likely more.

Companies House confirmed it suspended the strike-off action but said it would not comment on individual cases.

Many of those owed salaries have raised their cases with the Employment Tribunal and have received judgements in their favour.

According to the MP, when bailiffs attempted to collect the money at the company's registered address, at 85 Mortimer Street, London, they found no record of Noordzee being there.

The Langham Estate, which owns the building, confirmed it held no records of the company to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Attempts to contact Noordzee for a comment have been made without success.

Ms Riddell-Carpenter said the suspension of the company's request would give former staff more time to push to receive the money they were owed.

"I'm continuing to fight, continuing to challenge and try to make sure that we can get the money that is owed to people paid as soon as possible," she said