A rescue bid has been tabled for a Bradford fireplace company which closed leaving scores of angry customers out of pocket.

Challoners Fireplaces, which was established in 1957, was placed in the hands of liquidators last month after running up big debts.

The company's troubles stemmed from an illness suffered by managing director Paul Challoner which forced him away from the day-to-day running of the business.

At a meeting of creditors, dozens of customers who had paid up front or placed deposits for fireplaces spoke of their fury about their losses.

They included a young mum who had saved for five years to raise the £700 for her new fireplace and paid out in cash only to learn the company had failed a few days later.

Most of the customers only discovered that the company had gone out of business after fitters failed to turn up to install their fireplaces.

Gary Blackburn, of liquidators BWD Business Solutions, said only customers who paid by credit card were likely to get their money back, amid accusations the company had deliberately encouraged customers to pay by cash.

However, a glimmer of hope emerged for the creditors when Michael Fairbairn, brother-in-law of Paul Challoner, told the meeting that he was speaking to the directors of the business with a view to tabling a bid.

And he pledged that, if his offer was successful, he would do what he could to provide fireplaces to those who had paid up front and not received their product.

Mr Challoner, who had suffered from stress and depression in the wake of marital problems, was said to be too unwell to attend the meeting of creditors.

However, his brothers Simon and Adam - who were listed as directors along with their mother Cynthia - faced the creditors and tried to answer their questions.

The pair, who run their own companies, admitted they had left the running of the business to their and now stood to lose heavily as a result of its problems.

They said they hoped negotiations with Mr Fairbairn, who was himself a director of Challoners until 11 years ago but has had no contact with the business since, would prove successful.

Mr Fairbairn, who is one of a number of interested parties, said: "I am interested but it is out of my control to a certain extent.

"Our aim would be to do everything we could to retain the good name of Challoners, which has been successfully trading for more than 40 years and yet, within a year, that good name has been harmed.

"It has been a very successful business; the sheer volume of satisfied customers over the years shows how suc-