ADMINISTRATORS last night said there was still hope for the future of a stricken engineering firm which closed last month with the loss of 15 jobs.

Newton Aycliffe-based Spark Engineering Specialists, which purpose-built machinery and tools, went into administration just over two weeks ago.

Edwin Kirkwood, of administrators EJK Associates Ltd, said: "The company went into administration on July 26. It had, by then, ceased trading, and 15 members of staff there were made redundant."

He added: "There is a slight possibility that somebody else - a third party - may want to restart the business."

Brian Dobson, a former employee at Spark, said shop floor staff are still waiting for five weeks' pay.

"We were told we had lost our jobs on the day the company went into administration. No one at the company had told us anything. Everybody is very bitter because we had given our best," said the father-of-two.

Spark was set up by electrician Lee Whyte, of School Aycliffe, last August. It originally traded from Albert Hill, in Darlington, but soon moved to Maple Way, on Aycliffe Industrial Park.

Last night, Mr Whyte refused to comment.