NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Traders’ lives ruined after new venture plunges into chaos
Traders have been left out of pocket on the eve of Christmas as a store heralded as saving Ayr High Street has been plunged into crisis.
Some running the units in the ‘ 15: 17’ outlet, which moved into the old BHS in August, say they are owed up to £ 50,000.
The firm’ s head of operations, Arlene Bovill, claims she is owed £ 21,400.
A store which pledged to save Ayr High Street has been plunged into crisis this week.
The 1517 outlet, which moved into the old BHS in August, faces claims that staff have never been paid.
And traders have already started to bail out, with some insisting they are owed up to £ 50,000.
A number have now launched legal action to try and recover their cash on the eve of Christmas.
Among those out of pocket are the store’s security staff, who it is claimed were never paid a penny.
The Post understands they are seeking more than £ 10,000 in lost wages.
Traders who ran concession stands in the 42,000 sq ft unit have also claimed they were left high and dry, with store bosses pocketing the takings.
Cheryl Kelly was convinced to give up her own hairdressing business to move into the store and manage the new Aveda salon. She says she is owed more than £ 1500. She said: “I have been self- employed for more than 20 years and had a successful business.
“I thought this would have been a fantastic opportunity to work with a high- class product like Aveda.”
But Cheryl claimed she was told to go back to being self- employed within three weeks.
She added: “I’ve been accused of stealing stock as an excuse to get rid of me.”
Hacked- off traders claim the project has “unravelled”.
Arlene Bovill, the company’s UK head of operations, said she was sacked with the firm still owing her more than £ 21,000.
She said: “They don’t have any money. “The whole thing is being run by fantasists who promised people the world when there was nothing to back it up.”
Bosses behind the venture claimed they would create up to 150 jobs when the store opened its doors.
They said the town had “exciting potential” to buck national trends for dying High Streets.
It is understood some out- of- pocket workers received money at the weekend but claims remain filed for more.
A statement from 1517 bosses hit back at “online assaults on our business”.
They said: “It is disappointing to see this level of abuse from a few individuals, given the months of hard work by so many people and the hundreds of thousands of pounds invested to bring this beautiful building back to life. We will continue to grow and thrive, support the community, the many businesses we house and those who supply us.”