A Medway MP has stepped in to help former employees of a sports and social club, which shut suddenly last year, in a bid to get them the wages they say they are owed.

Mark Reckless, MP for Rochester and Strood, has been helping to advise former workers of the Peninsula Club, in Hoo, which closed down in October last year.

Its sudden collapse left staff without their full salaries, P45s or redundancy notices.

Several workers said they were owed more than £2,000 in wages, and were only given some money to tide them over as the club in Bells Lane, Hoo, struggled in its final months.

The popular club, which had a range of social and sports facilities, including a swimming pool, was bought by the Medway Peninsula Partnership (MPP) from engineering firm BAE Systems in January 2014, with father and son David and Ray Young and Stephen
Fielding becoming owners.

All three terminated their directorships in August 2014, and staff say Mr Fielding and his girlfriend, Fatimah Kopp, continued running the club until it closed.

Both deny this and Ms Kopp says she had nothing to do with the running of the operation.

Companies House said that unless new directors are registered, MPP will be taken off its register and eventually dissolved.

The group of workers went to Mr Reckless for help, concerned that if the company is struck off the register they will never get their wages, P45s or redundancy money.

The workers say their last full salary from MPP was paid into their bank accounts at the end of July 2014. Mr Reckless is also trying to raise money for them so they can get enough cash to appoint an official receiver to wind the company up in the hope they can claw back their wages.

Today (Friday), he and many of the former workers will meet at club to announce what they intend to do.

Mr Reckless said: “I am appealing for help for a group of constituents who have been left in the lurch by the (former) BAE Club in Hoo. Despite the club having been previously managed by a BAE employee, this massive defence firm is now refusing to help past employees to get the unpaid wages and redundancy pay which they are owed.

“Since BAE went back on an apparent offer to support them, I have been trying even harder to help the constituents involved.

“Some now face eviction despite being entitled to many thousands of pounds redundancy after years of work.

“Unfortunately, it seems that they are only now able to receive this if they pay £1,250 to appoint an official receiver, but few of those involved have much money after losing their jobs.”

Mr Reckless has set up an online fundraising page and has already donated £100 himself to the cause. He added: “I will guide them through the process as well as I can, and I hope others would like to help them too by making a contribution.

I’m very disappointed and shocked that BAE Systems had offered to support the workers and have now gone back on that offer.”

Jason Ryder, 32, who used to be head chef and catering manager at the club, said: “We need all the help we can get and are grateful for Mark’s help. All we want is what’s rightfully ours, we are still owed our wages.”

A spokesman for BAE Systems said: “Rochester Sport and Social Club Management took the decision to transfer the business ownership of Rochester Sport and Social Club to Medway Peninsula Partnership (MPP) in January 2014.

BAE Systems remains landlord of the site, but following the transfer of ownership, the company no longer has any connection with or control over the running of the club.

All management responsibility for the club, including payment of all business expenditure, has been the responsibility of MPP since January 31, 2014.”

Anyone wishing to help the former workers should visit www.gofundme.com/BAEClub