Former City Link directors cleared of charges

THE three former directors of collapsed Coventry-based parcel delivery group City Link have been cleared of failing to provide enough notice of impending redundancies at the firm.

David Smith, 50, the former chief executive of the group, Robert Peto, 48, and Thomas Wright, 32, had denied failing to give 45 days’ notice of dismissals at the group, which collapsed on Christmas Eve last year.

Mr Smith, of Dickens Heath, Mr Peto, of Priors Marston, and Mr Wright, from north-west London, were all acquitted at a hearing at Coventry Magistrates’ Court.

The charges against the trio had been brought under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act and stemmed from criticisms that the three men failed to inform the government they were preparing to make redundancies.

Law firm White & Case, which had represented the men, said all three were pleased with the decision.

City Link employed 2,700 people across the UK at the time of its collapse.

More than 2,500 of the firm’s workers only discovered their employer was going into administration on Christmas Day and the majority were made redundant on New Year’s Eve.