As the news broke on printweek.com that there were no buyers interested and the decision had been made to make 250 redundancies, readers flocked to the forums to offer their condolences or express their anger at the way the administration had been handled.

Martin Reuby, Unite's FoC at Corby, described workers as having been "unceremoniously dumped on the scrapheap by an uncaring parent company", blaming lack of investment and leadership from management as the reason behind the site's demise.

However, one worker at the plant wrote that the management "[did its best] to keep what was always going to be a sinking ship afloat".

Many commentators' sympathies lay with the workers. "As ever, the guys who pay the price are the ones who work the hardest with the least control over their own destiny," lamented Polestar press minder Ian Brodigan.

"[It's] nothing short of a disaster, not only for the 250 employees facing an uncertain future, but for the British print industry in general," said ex-Corby employee Nigel Taylor, now team leader at Pindar Graphics.

The news also brought out names from Quebecor's previous incarnation as Hunterprint.

Former Hunterprint director Douglas Richardson said: "From the plant's creation some 20 years ago, its eventual demise was inevitable.

"Created out of ego, the plant was never ever viable and was doomed from conception. Perhaps its obituary should read: 'Never in the history of the British printing industry has so much pain and frustration been inflicted on so many by so few'."

Others have resurfaced memories of the plant in its heyday. "It was a showcase plant, with us competitors viewing it with awe and respect," said Tony Passmore, former managing director of rival Alabaster Passmore & Sons.

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