DOWN and out... pictured are some of the 120 workers at the Buckfast Spinning Company who lost their jobs after the collapse of Axminster Carpets this week.

They face a desperate hunt for new employment in a jobs desert after their bosses called in administrators to explore 'options to maximise the realisation for the company's creditors', including the sale of the ailing business.

Staff felt with stronger leadership they might have survived the demise of the company, which admitted it had struggled to maintain healthy sales in difficult trading conditions.