STEAD McAlpin has made nine people redundant - a move that bosses say was necessary to move the business forward.

The Cummersdale-based fabric business confirmed the development to The Cumberland News yesterday.

It follows the decision in October to make 19 workers redundant.

At the time, furious employees - made redundant with just two days notice - said they were in dire financial circumstances because they had not been paid either the month’s wages they were owed, nor received any redundancy payments.

Following the decision, the Unite union described the situation as “disgraceful”.

Bosses told staff that pay and redundancy issues were being handled by Manchester firm EK Employment Law Consultants.

Talking about the redundancies, a spokesman for the business said: “Stead McAlpin can confirm nine employees have been informed of redundancy while the business restructures against reduced sales and increased costs in the marketplace, in what can only be described as extremely difficult trading conditions.

“It is unfortunate that it has got to this stage, we have tried our damnedest not to get to this, but it is something we have had to do to go forward.

“We still want to be around as Stead McAlpin and producing products for our customers.”

The spokesman confirmed that the business has no immediate plans for further redundancies but said that the decision was an essential part of its restructuring process.

Stead McAlpin was launched in 1835, with the firm being rescued nine years ago by the Lancashire textile business of R Soper Limited.