THE future of a meat factory is uncertain after a butchers chain has fallen into administration.

Directors at Crawshaws, which has a factory on Chaddock Lane Astley, announced yesterday, Wednesday, that the business has gone into administration which has put 600 jobs at risk.

A spokesman for Crawshaw Butchers said: "As previously announced on 26 October, 2018, the board was considering a number of remedial actions including raising additional funding through an equity capital raising in order to address the key issues it had identified with the company.

"Since then, the board has been in discussions with existing investors and prospective investors.

"Unfortunately these discussions have not been successful in raising sufficient capital to address those key issues.

"The company does not have sufficient cash resources to effect the required restructuring of the business.

"In the light of the above and the operational and financial uncertainty which the company now faces, in order to protect both shareholders and creditors, the board has taken the decision to place the company into administration and intends to appoint administrators shortly with the purpose of seeking buyers for the group’s business and assets on a going concern basis."