In Brief: Financial services rescue plan; Ellington closes its doors; and more

A NEW institution for toxic assets could be set up in Yorkshire to protect the financial services industry, it has been reported.

It is understood that the plan would see a raft of measures introduced to protect jobs in the sector through public sector intervention. 

A new “bank” could buy bad debts from struggling banking institutions.

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A YORKSHIRE luxury hotel has closed its doors just six months after it opened.

The company that owns The Ellington hotel in Leeds went into administration last month but its operator, Pantin Hotels, has now shut its doors.

Corporate recovery firm MCR was appointed as administrator to a number of companies which owned the boutique hotel, in York Place, and the city-centre nightspot Floridita.

The Albert Roux restaurant at the York Place hotel and the 500-capacity Cuban-themed Floridita nightclub and restaurant closed last week.

It is understood that bosses at The Ellington met administrators to discuss the venue’s future yesterday.

Pantin Hotels, run by hotelier David Pantin, had pledged to keep the rest of the building open while it helped search for a buyer but it had closed its doors yesterday.

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GODLOVES businesswomen’s breakfast club in Leeds is allowing men to attend its next meeting so that they can hear a talk by judge Marilyn Jackson.

Ms Jackson will speak about her pioneering work with the Leeds Drugs Court initiative, which deals solely with drug crime and aims to find alternative ways of treating offenders, including treatment for addiction.

The meeting will be held at The Piazza by Anthony in the Corn Exchange, Leeds on March 20 from 7.30 until 9.30 am. Delegates will have plenty of opportunity to network and will also enjoy a full English breakfast.

For a place call 07951 923348 or visit www.godloves.co.uk.

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FROZEN food logistics firm Reed Boardall has won ‘Environmental Carrier of the Year’ in ASDA’s inaugural awards for its distribution service providers.

The Boroughbridge-based company, which is ASDA’s only frozen food consolidator, was also runner up for the ‘Carrier of the Year’ category.

The awards have been launched to recognise the contribution ASDA’s carriers make towards the supermarket’s success and sustainability is high on the agenda.

Robert Place, ASDA’s primary operations manager, said: “We have been aware of Reed Boardall’s commitment to environmental practices for some time and they certainly met all the criteria in our new awards scheme.”