Staff who were made redundant four days before Christmas are unhappy with the way they were treated.

Four of the seven permanent employees at the Old Market arts centre in Hove are seeking legal advice from their union about the loss of their jobs.

They were originally employed by the Old Market Trust, which owns the building in Upper Market Street, which was restored at a cost of £5 million in 1998.

They say their contracts were transferred to Old Market Enterprises in April 2000, which was responsible for the commercial operation of the building.

All staff were warned at the beginning of December their jobs could be at risk if funding for the crisis-hit centre, which has debts of £1.4 million, was withdrawn.

Directors of the Old Market Trust were told on December 17 their requests for more money from the Arts Council and Brighton and Hove City Council had been refused.

Four days later the staff, including six-months-pregnant Tanya Ashdown, were handed letters saying they were being made redundant with immediate effect.

Tanya, who was bookings administrator at the theatre for two years, said: "We were originally told if it came to redundancies, our notice periods would be honoured.

"There was never any mention that the redundancies would be effective immediately and I was led to believe my maternity benefits would be protected.

"At the final meeting on December 21, we were given letters and cheques for our December salaries.

"Our notice periods were not honoured, no redundancy payments were made and my maternity benefits were not honoured."

Martyn Barratt, the venue's technical manager for eight years, said he felt he had been treated very badly.

He said: "This came just four days before Christmas and ruined it for all of us.

"We have been told Old Market Enterprises has gone into liquidation.

"When we asked who the liquidator was and the name of the administrator, we were told none had been appointed yet."

Patrick Roberts, manager of the building in Upper Market Street for two years, said: "Having made us redundant, the Old Market Trust then offered us casual work on an hourly basis.

"This would have allowed it to honour the events already booked in by Old Market Enterprises.

"We are seeing our union reps at the GMB next week about the way in which this has been handled."

Trust chairman Robert Minton said the company was not trying to avoid its obligations to its former staff.

He said: "Notice periods, redundancy payments and other matters were not raised in the letters given to staff.

"That does not mean the trading company is trying to avoid its obligations.

"If the company does not have the money to make these payments, there is provision for the Government to pick up the tab.

"The company has gone into liquidation and an administrator has been appointed.

"I saw two members of staff after Christmas to offer them casual work but they said they did not want it.

"They did not raise the matter of notice and other issues with me then but I would still be happy to speak to them about it."