EMPLOYEES of a Ryedale electrical goods rental, service and repair firm have suffered a double blow, after a businessman who stepped in to save the company after its directors wound it up has himself ceased trading just two weeks later.

Peter Richardson, a customer of Hill & Jackson for 20 years, made a bid to restart the company, and re-employ staff, after Driffield-based administrator Redmond Nichols closed the firm's three shops in Malton, Pickering and Kirkbymoorside on March 10, with the loss of 18 jobs.

Earlier this month, Mr Richardson offered each of the original staff a job and re-employed 14 of them, relaunched the company as Hill & Jackson Phoenix Electrical Ltd, and set up a distribution centre at the Thornton Road Industrial Estate in Pickering.

But on Monday, Mr Richardson confirmed that the Ryedale firm, which has been a household name for almost 50 years, had again ceased trading, and its 14 staff faced an uncertain future.

Mr Richardson said the shop at Howe End, Kirkbymoorside, which opened on April 12, would be taken over by Gavin Read, who runs TVC Electrical, Railway Street, Malton.

"The exact details have still to be worked out. At the moment, he's taking the Kirkbymoorside shop," said Mr Richardson, a former British Rail engineer who lives in Driffield.

When asked why he had ceased trading, Mr Richardson said: "It was for several reasons which were really private to myself. It needed a younger man running it. It had so much scope that it was better in the hands of a younger person."

Engineer Frank Hitchcock, of Outgang Road, Pickering, who was with Hill & Jackson for 47 years, plans to become a self-employed television and video repairer after being made redundant.

"I went along with the new guy, who was there for two weeks, and it's now finished," said Mr Hitchcock. "We were up when we thought the company was back again, but now we're back to the start again. It's very disappointing."

A former employee, who did not wish to be named, said: "He came in on Friday afternoon and said: 'Right, that's it, we're closing.' I think he expected the business to run itself and finance itself. We're all totally battered and bruised and back where we started."

Updated: 10:38 Wednesday, April 21, 2004