THE business owned by former Chelmsford City chairman Mansell Wallace has gone into voluntary administration, leaving up to 14 people jobless.

Electrical Safety Consultants Ltd, based in Springfield Road, has been put into the hands of LB Liquidation.

Redundant staff have said they were laid off on Thursday, July 24, and still haven’t been paid for the two weeks previous work, and are now worried they won’t see any money at all.

Explaining his decision to go into administration, Mr Wallace told the Weekly News: “We lost a big contract and just haven’t been making money, so I thought it best to put it into administration and closed it down.

“We had a bit of interest in the company but they pulled out and I was left with no choice.

The administrators are handling the money.”

When asked if staff would be paid in full, Mr Wallace said: “Staff are preferential creditors, all of them will get their money.

The money is there to pay them.”

Mr Wallace, 65, was recently made honorary life president of the Clarets. He stepped down from his role of chairman and board member at the Clarets in June citing health reasons.

One of his former staff, who wished to remain anonymous, is worried she won’t get the money she is owed. She said: “We went into work all received a letter saying he wasn’t prepared to fund the company any more.

“He did keep everything quiet and gave all the impression that everything was fine. Now I’m left on the scrapheap.”

Another employee said he suspected something was up when Mr Wallace stepped down from the football club.

He said: “He loved that club; it was his pride and joy. The way he left it was very surprising and I thought it wasn’t right.

“You don’t just resign from the board and then go on to say what a great supporter you are. It just doesn’t add up.”