A BARNSTAPLE woodworking factory has become the latest victim of the recession.

Leisureline Joinery, which was based in Oakwood Close, went into voluntary liquidation on Wednesday, June 17, leaving 12 workers unemployed. The company was owned by Martin Singh.

Stephen Hobson, from liquidation company Quadra Business Recovery in Exeter, said: "I understand the company was a victim of the market for joinery services in North Devon.

"We are now collecting assets, selling any property owned by the company and paying out to those who are still owed."

David Gilbert from Barnstaple, a former employee of the company, contacted the

Journal

via our website.

He said: "I worked there for nine years and it will be hard to match the quality and variety of work we did.

"The sad thing is that in the last year we were as busy as we have ever been."

In March this year Leisureline was forced to make eight redundancies from its factory after what was described as a "sharp downturn in workload".

Des Thorpe, the former manager, explained at the time that the firm had "relied heavily on the housing boom which ground to a halt late last year".