MG Rover Trust Fund member Carl Chinn today branded a four-year delay in payouts to 6,500 ex-Longbridge workers “ludicrous” – as the Government inquiry grinds on.

Professor Chinn, one of four trustees, voiced his anger after revelations that the state investigation set up in summer 2005 has now racked up a bill of more than £14.8 million, with no end in sight. The delay in the inquiry has left up to £16 million pledged to former MG Rover workers marooned in a bank account, scuppering potential payouts of five figure sums for ex-employees.

Fees paid to the Government inspectors by the end of February totalled £12.2 million, with expenses and VAT taking the total bill to the state to £14.8 million, official figures reveal.

Professor Chinn said today: “This is just ludicrous. If it were not so upsetting, it would be regarded as a farce.

“The inquiry has taken nearly four years and cost nearly £15 million. What are they doing, where is it going, when will it end? “Many of these workers are still struggling. They are in temporary, low paid and insecure work and they need the money now.

“We would like to distribute this money equally now to all these people who lost their jobs. It makes me very angry.”

He said all meetings of trustees had been abandoned for now.

“There is no point having meetings - there is nothing to discuss.”

The 6,500 ex-workers waiting for potential payouts of £5,000 plus from the Phoenix Trust fund are being denied payment on advice from lawyers representing the Phoenix Four.

Money already realised by the sale of PVH assets includes £4.5 million for former conference centre Studley Castle, £12 million for dealerships and a potential £21 million payout from PVH for an inter-group loan to prop up MG Rover.