A LONG-ESTABLISHED Kent engineering company has gone into administration and laid off almost half its 50-strong workforce.

Staff at Startrite Engineering at Courteney Road, Gillingham, were left stunned when administrators turned up at the site to announce the redundancies.

The other half of the workforce were told they would be kept on for a few weeks but probably would not get all the pay owing to them.

The firm, which makes specialist engineering equipment, is looking for a buyer, but the laid-off employees say they don’t hold out too much hope.

The company was established in 1948. The shock news was delivered on the Friday before Christmas.

The firm, which has ceased trading, called in administrators, Menzies Corporate Restructuring, on Thursday, December 21.