Centre can get job done again
CLOSURE BY BAILIFFS SEES OFFICE CLOSE FOR TWO DAYS
A NORTHUMBERLAND job centre which was closed for two days after being raided by bailiffs has reopened.
Twenty staff members who work at the JobCentre Plus in Blyth were relocated to other offices on Wednesday after it was shut over a legal dispute.
People who use the centre were told that their appointments had been cancelled and their payments would not be affected.
The legal dispute involved a company called Telereal Trillium, which provides buildings for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and a “third-party landlord”.
Yesterday (correct), a Telereal Trillium spokesman said: “Following legal advice and discussions with the landlord, the property is back in possession of the tenant and the job centre reopened for business as usual.”
An eyewitness described seeing the debt collectors arrive on Wednesday morning and raiding the building.
He said: “I was standing having a cigarette outside when a group of bailiffs smashed down the door. They were inside for a while before they put chains on the doors.”
A short time later a bailiff possession notice was left taped to the building’s doors. It read: “Take notice that your landlord has this day, 30th August 2017, exercised their right to instruct certificated bailiffs to peaceably re-enter and take possession on this premises.
“This property is now legally occupied by the landlords. Any attempt to break into this property will be classed as a criminal offence and will be reported to the police.”
The DWP said contingency plans were put in place to make sure all the claimants were paid on time while the centre was unavailable for use.
The closure of the centre had prompted Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell to voice concerns about the impact it would have on constituents.