BOSSES at a Pwllheli bargain store have been branded ‘heartless’ following news that over 20 members of staff are to be let go on Christmas Eve.

The discount retail giant, B&M, has confirmed this week that 11 members of staff, woh were handed permanent roles, and 11 temporary members of staff were let go on Christmas Eve.

The B&M store, which replaced the former Co-operative store on Lower Cardiff Road, only opened up in the town on 23 November.

The company promised to employ an extra 30 local people and retain 20 former Co-op workers.

A member of staff, who did not wish to be named, told the Cambrian News: “The news that we were losing our jobs on Christmas Eve came as a huge shock.

“I was offered a permanent role and I put in a lot of overtime and turned up early to every shift to make a good impression.

“I thought there would be cut backs and the hours did go down after the initial opening but I thought it would end up being performance based and not this many of us losing our jobs on Christmas Eve!

“It’s horrible for us who have put gifts on finance and credit cards and now we go into the New Year in debt and jobless.”

A B&M spokesperson, said: “Unfortunately we’re having to let some of the colleagues in our Pwllheli store go, 11 roles will be lost, in additional to 11 temporary roles who were due to finish this month.