Brexit has been blamed for the closure of a Hereford factory.

Steve Farncombe, a spokesman for Vision Gelpack, said the uncertainty surrounding the country’s departure from the European Union was partly behind the decision to place the Faraday Road business into administration.

Around 50 employees worked at the polyethylene packaging firm and they were all told they were out of work last Thursday.

Some of the staff told the Hereford Times that they were due to be paid on the day they were informed they received a letter from ‘joint administrator’ Benjamin Wiles.

He said that, along with Geoffrey Bouchier of Duff & Phelps, he had to advise employees of the company's insolvency.

"The company is no longer in a position to continue your contract of employment on economic grounds," he added. "You should therefore regard your service as terminated with effect from 28 February 2019."

Gelpack said nothing last week but has now issued a statement through Mr Farncombe.

“The decision to put the company in administration mirrors harsh realities to do with future prospects that have been affected by the uncertainty surrounding the Brexit process,” he told the Visonscape website.

“One of the significant factors in the decision is also the recent directive by the EU that has introduced restrictions on single-use plastic products by 2021.

“We regrettably have to make some tough decisions to position us for success in a highly competitive marketplace that is rapidly evolving.”

However, one former employee claims the decision to place the company into administration had little to do with Brexit.

"The reason it failed was that Visionscape did not really support the business coming towards the end of last year when they were continually running out materials," said the former worker who did not wish to be named.

"This created the problem of lines being stopped or changing to other jobs. VisionGelpack could not secure finances needed to buy the materials as they were, in a sense, a new business so they could not secure enough credit, and were having to pay for most things upfront."

In 2017, Gelpack Excelsior was bought out of administration by the Visionscape Group who acquired the assets of the former company.