FOLLOWING the news that Tomlinson’s Dairies Limited has gone in to administration, NFU Cymru has been working tirelessly to help affected farmers find a way through the process.

NFU Cymru received reports the previous weekend that Tomlinson's in Wrexham had told its suppliers to find alternative processors for their milk.

It is believed there are around 70 producers affected, many of whom are located in Wales.

NFU Cymru policy adviser Dafydd Jarrett said: “After the initial news broke, it was clear the priority was finding an immediate home for the milk, which luckily we believe has been sorted for all of those impacted.

"We are grateful for the quick response from processors, retailers and hauliers to help sort this at such short notice.

“NFU Cymru is working tirelessly to support its members affected by this issue.

"We have put together a briefing for NFU members which is available on our website or from our CallFirst team.

"We will keep that briefing updated as new information becomes available. We have also set up a dedicated fund through our Legal Assistance Scheme which affected Tomlinsons suppliers can access to get some free initial legal advice from one of our NFU legal panel firms."

Meanwhile, Unite has said it would be offering its members maximum support and pursuing legal action for compensation over a failure to consult after Tomlinson Dairies Limited collapsed into administration.

Unite regional officer Jo Goodchild said: “This is a totally unexpected and devastating blow for the workforce and their families.

"The workforce had no idea this was coming, they were simply told not to report for work on Monday morning but to attend a meeting scheduled for 4pm.

"Unite will be offering maximum support to help those affected both in terms of retraining and support in securing new employment.

"Unite will also be launching legal action on behalf of our members for compensation over a failure to consult.”