Bailiffs working for Safeguard Bailiff Services seized the Lutterworth, Leicestershire-based site over the weekend on instructions of the landlord, the debt enforcement company said this morning.

Staff have contacted PrintWeek to say that they have not been paid for more than two months and have been left "completely in the dark" over what is happening to the company.

Abbotts was acquired out of administration by a company called TWRM, a consortium of printers incorporating Rhodes Printing directors Michael Taylor and Mark Ward, plus Portobello Press managing director Peter Murtagh last year.

Murtagh subsequently left the business in December and has no remaining ties with the company.

According to one member of staff, employees were instructed to take Monday and Tuesday off last week and come into work on Wednesday for an announcement about the future of the company.

Wednesday passed with no word and employees were told to return on Friday for a meeting with director Mark Ward. Ward apparently did not attend the meeting and could not be contacted.

A staff member, who did not wish to be named, said: "We have heard nothing, our site manager has been trying to find out what is going on but is either fobbed off or cannot reach the directors."

Neither Taylor nor Ward were available for comment.

This latest turn marks another twist in the history of Abbotts, which was bought by B1 firm VCS Group back in 2007, before falling into administration and being bought by TWRM.