MORE than 80 staff at an historic construction company are reported to have been made redundant just a few weeks before Christmas.

Knowles & Son, based in Berinsfield, is one of Oxfordshire’s oldest building firms and has worked on numerous key building projects for town and gown since it launched in Oxford in 1797.

The firm has completed restoration and conservation work for Oxford University and Oxford colleges, the National Trust, The Heritage Lottery Fund, and Oxford Preservation Trust.

Projects the company have worked on include a £3.4m science and teaching block at Cheney School in Headington and a £1.1m kitchen refurbishment at Oxford college Lady Margaret Hall.

Employees said they were summoned to a meeting yesterday at the firm’s Wimblestraw Road base and claim to have been told they no longer had employment.

The company, which relocated to Berinsfield from its base in Osney Mead, Oxford, last year, has failed to confirm or deny the reports, following queries from the Oxford Mail.

One member of staff, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were only given four hours’ notice and no redundancy pay.

He said: “I have worked for them for 16 years and you wouldn’t treat an animal like the way they have treated us.

“We were told we would be losing our jobs with no redundancy pay out.

“There were grown men crying; men who had given 50 years to that company.

“It is just six weeks before Christmas – what are we supposed to do?”

The long-serving worker said staff had received calls in the morning asking them to attend a meeting at the head office.

He said he arrived at 12.30pm to find the meeting had already started, and that some employees had not turned up until the end of the meeting.

Records at Companies House show no indication that Knowles & Son had yet informed Companies House.

According to the company’s website, staff work mainly in Oxford and the surrounding area.

Clients also include schools, universities, local authorities, commercial enterprises and private companies.

Sectors of the firm’s operation include historic buildings, commercial, industrial and defence areas.

A statement on its website says: “Our experience includes the conservation and restoration of historic buildings. In addition to working under traditional procurement methods we have long-standing experience of design and build projects.”