The Insolvency Service has provided an update on the investigation into P&O Ferries following its controversial mass redundancies on March 17, 2022. The update, released on August 19, 2022, and revised on October 1, 2024, reveals that no criminal proceedings will be initiated against the company.
An Insolvency Service spokesperson stated: “After a full and robust criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the employees who were made redundant by P&O Ferries, we have concluded that we will not commence criminal proceedings.
The investigation was prompted by a request from the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, aiming to determine whether any offences had been committed in relation to P&O Ferries’ dismissal of 786 employees. The alleged offence was the failure to provide proper notification as required under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
The Insolvency Service’s criminal investigation was reviewed by an independent senior prosecution lawyer, who concluded there was no realistic prospect of securing a conviction.
However, a civil investigation by the Insolvency Service is still ongoing, and no further comments have been made at this time. The decision not to proceed with criminal charges is unlikely to quell the controversy surrounding P&O Ferries’ actions, which sparked significant public outrage when the company dismissed hundreds of staff without notice.
