Members of a troubled pension scheme face six more months on tenterhooks before they discover how their retirement plans are affected.

Hundreds of people were shocked at Christmas when it was announced that Lister's Pension Scheme had a shortfall of £2 million.

More than 500 employees of the former Bradford-based Lister plc received letters from Hammond Suddards Pension Trust.

The pension fund, which is being wound up, stands at £5.8 million -- and the trustees say that at the moment it could only meet 67 per cent of its liabilities.

An independent inquiry is being carried out into the problems.

Today Catherine McKenna, a trust director of Hammond Suddards Pension Trust, said the winding-up procedure would be lengthy and it would be about six months before they could give the pensioners a better idea of the effect on their pensions.

She said: "It is always a lengthy procedure.

"We are continuing to work through the figures and it appears that there is not one single thing which has affected the fund."

She said it appeared to be due to the economic climate, and particularly interest rates.

But today Fred Fox, 65, of Templers Way, Fairweather Green, said it appeared he would lose more than £400 a year of the pension he expected if the situation remained the same.

He criticised the trust for failing to reply to letters or give better information.

"The attitude seems to be that we should just behave ourselves. But since this happened, I am the first person to reach retirement age.

"The impression all along since we were told of the problems is that we have to do as we are told.

"But I have a certificate which says I have preserved benefits. I think the word preserved means that they should have been protected."

Mr Fox said he had contacted the trust shortly before his 65th birthday last April and had expected a letter simply to say that he would be receiving the pension.

"I couldn't believe it when I was told about the problems. I never thought this could happen to a pension scheme."

People who have been receiving their pensions since before September 30, 1997 will continue to get their payments, but inflationary increases will be frozen until the fund is sorted out.

Members reaching the age of 65 in the meantime will get a reduced temporary pension.

Early retirements have also been stopped temporarily because of the burden they would cause on the depleted fund.

John Arroll, 55, of Claremont Avenue, Wrose, said: "I have been paying into the pension fund for nine years and I am absolutely disgusted."

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