BIRMINGHAM van-maker LDV was today just 24 hours from possible closure with 7,000 UK jobs at risk – as the clock ticked towards a collapse into administration.

Workers asked to collect their pay-slips to enable them to claim state benefits arrived at the Washwood Heath factory gates today with the threat of redundancy looming.

Employees have been told that pay-slips were available from the Bromford Lane gate between 10am and noon today – 24 hours before the deadline to save the factory from total closure.

LDV directors filed for administration last week, with a High Court hearing pencilled in for tomorrow if no buyout is agreed.

Talks have continued with potential investors, Malaysian group Weststar, over the Bank Holiday weekend but a deal has not yet been announced.

If the talks with LDV’s Russian owners GAZ are not successful, a collapse into administration looks certain, with 850 directly employed workers and thousands more in dealerships and the supply chain facing the axe.

The pay-slips are required to enable employees to claim state benefits, raising fears that hundreds of jobs could go immediately if administrators are formally appointed tomorrow.

LDV PR and Marketing Director Guy Jones said: “The key relevance of making pay-slips available is that people need the pay-slips to go and sign on for their benefits.