Dark Christmas ahead for nearly 1,000 axed staff of solar panel company

Mark Group went into administration in October, with many associated with the Leicester-based company blaming the government for stifling solar's potential

The Christmas tree in the reception of what used to be Mark Group, an energy company with more than 1,000 staff, looks jaunty enough but underneath it there are barely a handful of presents.

"They're fake," confides one of the few remaining staff. It is a grim reminder of the hardship being faced by hundreds of people who lost their jobs when the company went into administration in October.