AFTER servicing and looking after ambulances all through lockdown, working longer hours to keep emergency services on the road, staff at one Newport business have been made redundant.

Eighteen employees at the Isle of Wight branch of Adams Morey, based in Newport, were made redundant from July 31 ­— some having served the company for more than 30 years.

Adams Morey was bought out by the West Midlands-based Greenhous Group in July 2019, and a year on, the staff at its Newport branch were told to leave.

Of its 20 staff members, two retained positions at the business, moving to Premier Ford, which Greenhous took over in November.

"We didn't even get a thank you for working through the pandemic," said one former employee, who wanted to remain anonymous.

"For the staff themselves ­— the people who had put their lives on the line ­— we didn't receive a proper thank you from those above.

"The only time we received a thank you was when they told us we were being made redundant.

"We'd been servicing ambulances, attending call outs, making sure they could get out there and help the people that needed them.

"We did inspections on them every six weeks ­— we'd been looking after them for more than ten years.

"During lockdown, we put a new engine in one because it failed, serviced them, inspected them. We saw up to four or five a day.

"We did everything for them­. The patient transports, major incident vehicles — I couldn't tell you how many went through the workshop.

"We also looked after DHL, Steve Porters ­— all those people bringing containers over with the food and supplies for the Island.

"It was extremely stressful some days, but knowing we were helping the NHS and the Island ­— the cause ­— that was the only thing that kept us going."

Adams Morey declined to comment.

Premier Motors is now based at the former Adams Morey Riverway site.