Sixteen staff laid off as Chesterfield’s Robinsons Caravans closed with “immediate effect”

Staff at the Brimington firm, now over 60 years old, were sent home yesterday and its gates were shut - sparking panic among customers who descended on the site today (Friday) to reclaim touring vans in for repairs.

One Robinsons customer told Derbyshire Times she had been “locked in” with other customers while others arriving outside were refused entry.

However, after police were called it is understood the gates were opened and customers were allowed to collect their caravans.

Bosses at the Chesterfield firm have so far stayed silent over the future of the site, however financial administrators have confirmed today that it will close.

A spokesperson for Interpath Advisory, who have been appointed as administrators, said "certain parts” of the business and its assets had been sold to a Storebon Holdings Limited, part of the Couplands Caravans group.

Robinsons has another dealership in Worksop and nine jobs at that site had been saved – with workers transferred to the purchaser as part of the transaction.

However, the Interpath spokesperson added: “The Robinsons Caravans site in Chesterfield is not included in the transaction and as a result, will close with immediate effect.

"Consequently, 16 members of staff have been made redundant. The joint administrators will be providing support to all those impacted by redundancy, including assisting with claims to the redundancy payments service.”

Ryan Grant, managing director at Interpath Advisory and joint administrator, said: “These have been testing times for many businesses across the leisure sector as a result of high cost inflation and fragile consumer confidence.”