Sixty workers who lost their jobs when a Black Country car parts manufacturer shut are to share around £250,000 a tribunal has ruled.

The staff were given no warning of the firm’s demise.

The protective awards, averaging about £4,000 per person, were made by a tribunal to former employees of Mazak Ltd in Bloxwich.

The firm, which dates back nearly 100 years, went into administration and closed in February after falling victim to the recession.

Tom Keogh, regional officer for Amicus, told the hearing at Birmingham Employment Tribunal staff had turned up one day to be told the firm was closing and they should go home.

No prior consultation had taken place between the management, workers and union which was a breach of the Employment Rights Act, he added.

Tribunal chairman Alan McCarry agreed the 90-day protective awards, which are to be made by the Government’s Redundancy Office.

The awards were compensation for the alleged lack of co-operation by management in the way they had handled the losses, it was said.

A factory had been on the site since 1902 when it was known as The Delaville Spelter Works.