Sark Estate Management 'shedding more than 100 jobs'

More than 100 workers employed by Sark Estate Management are to lose their jobs, according to an article in the Sark Newsletter.

The piece has been written by Kevin Delaney, Sark Estate Management's managing director.

Mr Delaney wrote the decision was prompted by expectations of a continued decline in the tourism industry.

Attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful and no-one from the company was available to comment.

'Unsustainable investment'

Mr Delaney wrote that the company employs 170 people and about 70% of them would lose their jobs over the next four to six weeks.

Sark Estate Management administers the properties in the island owned by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, who live on neighbouring Brecqhou.

Mr Delaney said in the newsletter that Chief Pleas, the island's government, needed to make the tourist market more open to encourage expansion.

He said without such changes it was "unsustainable for SEM [Sark Estate Management] to keep investing enormous sums of money".