Iconic sweet firm closes

Administrator Grant Thornton announced that all the staff at New McCowans Ltd had been made redundant. More than 100 jobs have been lost at the confectioner’s plants in Stenhousemuir, near Falkirk, and Broxburn, West Lothian.

A further 84 jobs have also been lost at a packing centre in Skegness and Bristows fudgemaking business in Devon. The company reported losses of £2.38 million for the period ending 31 March 2010, adding to the £1.97m loss the previous year, despite selling more than 140 million chew bars a year.