STAFF at a call centre in Cwmbran claim around 120 employees have been made redundant after the company went into liquidation.

Former employees of Griffin Place Communications, based at Llantarnam Industrial Park, have contacted the Argus to say they were told to keep working while their friends were in tears after losing their jobs.

They were due to be paid yesterday (FRI) but many of them received letters saying that the company had gone into liquidation and they would have to claim back what they were owed.

The Argus has been shown letters claiming that the company, which had received Welsh Government funding reported to be around £600,000 ahead of opening earlier this year, had gone into liquidation.

The letters say that insolvency firm Finn Associates has been appointed 'to assist the directors with the formalities of winding-up'.

It advises there will be a meeting of creditors on August 13.

Torfaen AM Lynne Neagle said she had received ‘worrying’ reports of job losses at the call centre and urged anyone that had been affected to get in touch.

She has arranged a pubic meeting for all former employees at 1pm on Monday at Mount Pleasant Hall, Pontnewydd.

The call centre opened earlier this year after receiving Welsh Government funding in a bid to create 1,100 new, high-quality jobs for Wales, including 300 jobs at Griffin Place Communications.

But since July 16, former employees have claimed that more than 120 staff have been made redundant, with the company citing performance targets and attendance records as the reasons.

Rebecca Whorton, who said she was made redundant this week, said staff were annoyed to be told they were let go because they were “underperforming”.

But she said this wasn't the case as the "whole department has lost their jobs".

She said on July 16 staff at work were tapped on the shoulder and taken into a meeting room where they were told they would be let go that day.

“It was just a horrible atmosphere,” she said.

She said since the first group left, more redundancies followed over the next two weeks.

Judith Davies, 53, from Pontypool, said they were told their jobs were ‘secure’ just weeks before they were made redundant.

“It’s awful the way we have been treated,” she said.

“There are a lot of us very concerned whether we are going to get paid this week.”

Aimee Phelps, 23, from Newport, said: “We were all crying and were told to stay on the phones while people were getting sacked around us.”

Simon Evans, Head of Communications at We Fight Any Claim, said they would be offering help to those who had been made redundant.

Despite being contacted numerous times by the Argus, the company has not provided a comment.

Newport East AM John Griffiths said he was concerned at the way staff had been treated and that he would be meeting with bosses from the call centre to seek clarity from the situation.

He added: "Welsh Taxpayers will rightly question whether the Welsh Labour Government’s investment in this project represents value for money, with the scheme seemingly having started to unravel within just a few months."

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We are very disappointed with the situation that the employees now find themselves in.

"The support provided to the company by the Welsh Government stipulated that the jobs should be in place for at least three years.

"We will, with immediate effect, be seeking repayment of relevant grant sums.

"We have also mobilised the Welsh Contact Centre Forum, who can signpost affected staff to potential new job opportunities, and we will keep the situation under review.”