Tindle Newspapers closes last remaining View From newspaper title

Report by Charlotte Tobitt for Press Gazette

Tindle Newspapers has closed the last remaining View From newspaper title, the monthly View From The Blackdown Hills.

The 16-page free paper was bought by Tindle in December 2009 as the publisher sought to widen its circulation area in the south west of England.

Its last edition, which had a distribution of around 6,000, was published this month.

Sandra Perraton, managing director of Tindle Newspapers in Teignbridge, Tavistock and Mid and East Devon, said: “Tindle Newspapers have been proud to serve the people of the Somerset/ Devon border.”

Perraton added that no journalists were made redundant by the closure, and that there are no current plans for any other newspapers from her centres in the south west to close.

Sandra Perraton - Tindle Newspapers Ltd.

At the time of Tindle’s purchase of the title from View From Publishing, former chairman Sir Ray Tindle said it was an “excellent editorial and advertising publication and we are proud to have it in our family”, adding: “There is a big future for these community newspapers.”

The Blackdown Hills newspaper was the last surviving View From title after the series was closed on 4 January due to “falling revenues” . It was the only title still owned by Tindle.

The other View From editions were owned by Capital Media Newspapers until it went into administration in July 2017 and then bought by Sunday Independent owner Peter Masters.

After Masters closed the newspaper series, the brand was sold for £1 to Duncan Williams, a director of West Country media company Pulman’s Weekly News Group.

Williams has now been found personally liable at a tribunal for thousands of pounds owed to former employees.

Media director found personally responsible for money owed to axed journalists

If Duncan Williams declares bankruptcy, claims for money will be transferred to the secretary of state

A REPORT BY ANITA MERRITT FOR CORNWALL LIVE

A Cornwall media director has been found personally liable to pay money owned to employees after he spent £1 to purchase a news organisation they were made redundant from before he acquired it.

A judgement delivered today at an employment tribunal concluded the former boss of the View From series, Peter Masters, chairman of Truro City Football Club, who made all staff redundant on January 4 due to the titles ceasing publication, was not liable for claims of staff still awaiting pay in lieu of notice, redundancy money and arrears of pay.

The decision heard at Exeter Combined Court stated that as media director Duncan Williams had bought the titles, which cover areas of Dorset, Devon and Somerset, on January 16, all right, powers, duties and liabilities had transferred to him rather than his limited company.

Mr Williams, who did not attend the two-day hearing, had stated he only purchased the intellectual property rights for the brands.

The 28 claimants will now attend a further hearing next March to determine how much money is owed to them. If Mr Williams declares bankruptcy, claims for money will be transferred to the secretary of state.

Duncan Williams

In July 2017, Peter Masters, owner of Cornwall-based Sunday Independent, announced the acquisition of the eight papers in the ‘View From’ series.

In January, Mr Masters, the sole shareholder, sold the Your View series to Mr Williams for £1, and resigned as director.

Evidence was given to support Mr Williams's intention to continue the business.

Employment judge Nicholas Roper said Vibe Marketing Group Ltd, which Mr Williams is the director of, was a ‘shell company’ and nothing more than a trading name. It means he is legally the employer and personally responsible.

He concluded Mr Williams is personally liable for claims of unfair dismissal and statutory redundancy payment. He is jointly liable with Vibe Marketing for pension deductions.

Peter Masters

Liable for a further claim of unlawful pension deductions from July 2017, which saw payments taken but not put into a work pension scheme, is Vibe Marketing.

One of the claimants is making a claim of unfair dismissal in December 2017, before the publication ceased printing, stating no verbal or written reason was provided.

Mr Williams runs independent news and marketing service the Poole Post. He is also a commercial development consultant with News Group Ltd and a director of Vibe Marketing.

Mr Williams launched a crowdfunding bid, with a target of £85,000, to revive the series of closed weekly newspapers.

At the time of the takeover, Mr Williams said an “accountants audit” would take place before any long-term decisions were made about the future of the publications.

The View From titles serve Beaminster, Bridport, Dorchester, Lyme Regis, Weymouth, Seaton, Honiton and South Somerset, while Pulman’s Weekly News serves Axminster.

The series was previously based in Lyme Regis.

Speaking after the tribunal, Mr Williams said: "I have no intention of going bankrupt. I was taken aback by the judge's decision as I had been told beforehand that this was a preliminary hearing to clarify issues that took place at the Westcountry newspaper group long before I became involved with it.

"I am appealing the Exeter court's decision and I am not seeking intervention from the Secretary of State."

Media Director Found Personally Responsible

Truro City FC chairman Peter Masters gives evidence at tribunal over newspapers sold for £1

An employment tribunal heard 27 journalists and staff were made redundant when the weekly newspapers went bust in January

REPORT BY ANITA MERRITT & GRAEME WILKINSON FOR CORNWALL LIVE

The chairman of Truro City Football Club has given evidence at a tribunal about a series of weekly newspapers he sold for £1.

The employment tribunal is looking into who is liable for paying money owed to 27 members of staff after the View From media series went bust.

The business had been acquired by Peter Masters, who is also the chairman of Truro City Football Club and the director of Cornwall Today magazine, in July 2017.

However the news publications, which covered the areas of Dorset, Devon and Somerset, closed in January and the staff were made redundant.

They claim they are all still awaiting pay in lieu of notice, redundancy money and arrears of pay.

Mr Masters, the sole shareholder at the time, then sold the business later that month for £1 to Duncan Williams, a media director at Vibe Marketing Group Ltd.

Giving evidence at the tribunal in Exeter, Mr Masters denied having known Mr Williams before the deal, despite a barrister presenting evidence his name and details had appeared on the View From website and blog in December 2017.

Peter Masters is the chairman of Truro City Football Club

Mr Masters said it had come as ‘a surprise’ when he was made aware of it at a later date, but said he understood Mr Williams had been interested in purchasing the titles back in July when he was the one to take it out of administration.

Mr Masters confirmed he resigned as director when the deal was struck with Mr Williams.

He added staff had been on ‘garden leave’ from January 4, but barrister James Arnold, representing the claimants told how their account of events was they had been locked out of office and told to remove their belongings and were not required to work again.

The new owner, Mr Williams, who was not present at the tribunal, claims he only purchased the intellectual property rights for the brands.

The hearing is scheduled to last for three days but on Wednesday the judge will decide whether Mr Williams is personally responsible for the claims or if Vibe Marketing Group Ltd is.

However, the claimants are likely to have to wait until next year for another hearing to make their own representations of what is owed to them.

The court heard all the employees were dismissed when the titles they worked for ceased publication on January 4.

Duncan Williams

Noting the absence of Mr Williams, employment judge Nicholas Roper said: “He has chosen not to attend.”

Evidence was given to support Mr Williams's intention to continue the business.

Mr Williams runs independent news and marketing service the Poole Post. He is also a commercial development consultant with News Group Ltd and a director of Vibe Marketing.

Mr Williams launched a crowdfunding bid, with a target of £85,000, to revive the series of closed weekly newspapers.

The employment tribunal continues.