2,500 Palmer jobs are lost

BRITAIN’S biggest tobacco distributor, Palmer & Harvey, has gone into administration with 2,500 jobs lost.

Administrators PwC were appointed after efforts to secure additional funding failed.

P&H employs 3,400 people and has 90,000 customers ranging from Tesco to local stores. It had been in takeover talks with private equity group Carlyle.

About 2,500 jobs at head office and the branch network will go immediately. Remaining staff will “assist the administrators in managing the activities of the business to an orderly closure”.