STAFF at a Huddersfield car dealership have lost their jobs following the collapse of MG Rover.

An insolvency firm has been called in to handle affairs for the group owning Midlothian Garage.

The news was broken to the Leeds Road dealership's 30-strong staff yesterday.

Midlothian is part of Barnsley-based Drive Direct Motor Group - which acquired Midlothian only a month ago.

It is understood that the group's difficulties are linked to the collapse of MG Rover.

One employee, who asked not to be named, said: "The insolvency people came in this morning and said we are all out.

"We won't even be getting this month's wages. We are all absolutely gutted."

Commenting on the Government's pledge to provide funds to help Rover suppliers in the wake of the car manufacturer's collapse, the employee added: "We would like to know if Tony Blair is going to give us some of those millions."

Drive Direct is now in the hands of insolvency experts from the Sheffield-based P&A Partnership.

The group also has dealerships in Barnsley, Warrington, Widnes and St Helen's.

Phone calls to Midlothian Garage and Drive Direct Group in Barnsley were not being answered today.

Jeremy Priestley, managing partner of P&A Partnership, was unavailable to comment.

Alan Pulham, national franchise dealer director for the Retail Motor Federation, said there was "a great deal of concern" among the UK's 264 Rover dealers following the collapse of the manufacturing firm.

Midlothian is one of Huddersfield's best-known businesses. It was launched in the mid-1960s at New Mill Road, Holmfirth, on the site of the 19th century Midlothian Cottage.

It became a limited company in 1976 and following further expansion bought the Leeds Road site in 1998.

The Holmfirth site closed at the end of 2003, when the whole operation moved to Leeds Road.

Midlothian was a Vauxhall dealer for many years until the arrangement ended last year when a proposed takeover of the franchise by motor chain Reg Vardy fell through.

Midlothian switched to the MG Rover marque and revamped its Leeds Road site.

* Network Rail said today it was offering jobs to nearly 200 of the 5,000 MG Rover workers facing redundancy in the Midlands.

Network Rail, which is responsible for track and signals, wants to recruit 192 engineers, project managers, signallers and maintenance workers in the Birmingham area.

Network Rail deputy chief executive Iain Coucher said the salaries would be "competitive", if not comparable to those at Longbridge.