Tribunal told of 'sabotage bid' by ex-bakery boss from Telford
A Shropshire managing director tried to sabotage the bakery chain he used to run by changing the locks and removing cash registers and equipment from shops around the region, an employment tribunal heard.
Ian Bolderston, from Telford, planned to cripple the Firkins bakeries in the West Midlands after he was sacked as MD for gross misconduct early last year, the hearing was told.
It heard how, along with his wife Sarah and some of the company's employees, he planned to capitalise on the firm's demise by opening a rival business.
A set of bizarre circumstances occurred over Easter weekend last year, when a string of Firkins shops across the Black Country and Birmingham were unable to open, including branches in Trysull Road in Wolverhampton, Market Way in Bilston, and High Street in Wednesfield.
Lorry drivers arriving to make deliveries in the early hours found keys did not work and tills and counters removed. Glue was also poured into the padlocks at five branches, including one in West Bromwich.
The police were called but at the time said no crime had been committed.
Then-owners Thomas and Margaret Adams were left mystified. The couple had merged their Northampton-based family bakery, Oliver Adams, with the Bolderstons' struggling Firkins business in 2011.
The alleged conspiracy was revealed at an employment tribunal brought about by Gail Dickens, a former area manager for the firm, who took action against Firkins parent company, Newbridge Bakery Retail Ltd, amid claims of unfair dismissal.
In a ruling that Mrs Dickens, of Wollaston, near Stourbridge, had been dismissed fairly, employment judge Christopher Gaskell gave details of a plot to damage the Firkins brand.
His judgement states: "Mr Adams only became aware of how serious the problems were over the course of the Easter weekend of 2013; it emerged that there was a conspiracy at large involving Mr and Mrs Bolderston and some other employees of the company, the strategy being firstly to impose potentially fatal financial damage to the company on the back of which Mr and Mrs Bolderston would then set up a rival business taking advantage of the custom and reputation and the trading brands of the company at a time when the company was ill-suited to fight back."
Mr Adams said today: "It was horrendous – a terrible and bizarre time but I was thankful to the staff who worked hard to salvage the situation. Without them we never could have kept the business going."
Mr Bolderston was said to be charismatic businessman and, together with his glamorous wife Sarah, was full of big ideas when they rescued the 144-year-old firm in 2006. Their last known address is in Bratton, near Telford.
The new owners of Firkins did not wish to comment, and Mr and Mrs Bolderston were unavailable.
