Living under the shadow of LDV collapse

May 3 2009 by William Oliphant, Sunday Mercury

LEFT in limbo since work stopped at LDV in December, Tony Martin and his family are facing the very real prospect of losing their house as the firm slides further towards collapse.

It’s a story that’s been repeated in scores of homes around Birmingham as families of workers see their money running out as the troubled van company goes belly up.

Tony Martin, who has worked for the firm for three years both on the shop floor and as a cost cutter, has been made redundant by the company once before in 2005.

The 45-year-old, from Olton, is now going through the process a second gruelling time while having to support wife Lucy, who has multiple sclerosis, and children Thomas, 14, and Rebecca, 16.

“In terms of time left we’ve basically run out,” he said. “You burn through your money so quickly when you’re not working, and now the company could go into administration there’s no money coming in at all.

“We’ve got letters from the council telling us we’re in arrears with our council tax, but what can you do?

“To me the biggest thing is my mortgage. If, when I’ve paid the mortgage, there’s no money left, then the council tax isn’t going to get paid.”