THE new owners of a landmark Merseyside hotel are accused of making 50 staff redundant just three days after telling workers their jobs were safe.

The Scarisbrick, in Southport, was taken over by Britannia Hotels – who also run Liverpool’s famous Adelphi – last week.

Assistant manager, Andy Arkle, claimed he was told by Britannia’s director, Eileen Downey, to hand out 30 of the letters on Friday.

He refused and left the business.

Mr Arkle told the Daily Post: “They didn’t want to do their dirty work.”

It is understood that 50 of the hotel’s 150 workforce were told their jobs were being axed while others have walked out in protest. The Lord Street hotel’s award-winning restaurant, Cloisters, was shut on Sunday – apparently because there was not enough staff to open.

Ex- restaurant and banqueting manager Billy Brown, 44, added: “The staff were promised their jobs were safe. I have seen a lot of things in the hospitality industry, but I have never ever seen anything like this.”

Britannia said there was no-one available to comment.