Working for what was one of Brighton and Hove's most successful companies, Edward Pearce thought he had a job for life. On Tuesday all that changed.

Today, he has no idea if he will ever again work for the firm to which he has dedicated 30 years of his life.

Until Tuesday, Edward, 62, and his two son's Mark, 32, and Graham, 28, had been working for Maclean's Furniture on Hollingbury industrial estate, making some of the finest furniture in the country.

They were shattered when they were laid off by the new owners of the company, with just one day's notice.

The trio are among 20 workers who have not been paid for three weeks.

Mark, who has worked at the factory for 17 years, has three young children.

He said: "We are gutted. We have been left in limbo, not knowing if our jobs will be there when we go back to work in January.

"For us, Christmas is not going to be a happy time. It is in the back of our minds all the time and it's going to be difficult to forget it.

"I don't want my children to miss out on presents but I have had to cut back."

William L Maclean's went into receivership in September and 40 people lost their jobs.

It seemed the business had been saved on October 11 when it was bought by a company called Harvitech, which later changed its name to Maclean's Furniture.

Events turned sour when employees were asked to sign a new contract with just two hours' notice on Monday.

They were told by trade union GMB the contract contained illegal clauses and refused to sign it.

The next day, they were told they had been laid off until further notice.

GMB is considering legal action against the firm, which it claims is in breach of contract.

Under law, firms should give employees five days' notice of a lay-off and three months to look at any new contract.

The GMB is contemplating applying for a High Court injunction forcing the firm to allow the workers inside the factory to work.

The new owner of the factory went on holiday to France on Thursday and it is unlikely anything will be resolved until his return in the New Year.

Before the firm hit troubled times, it took orders from top hotels, including The Mayfair, The Dorchester and The Hilton in London as well as supplying furniture to the Houses of Parliament and the QE2.

In 1989, the firm broke the Guinness World Record for making the longest made-to-order settee, which measured about 15ft.

The company first experienced trouble during the Gulf War in 1991 and although orders picked up in the Nineties the terrorist attacks in September 2001 led to another decline.

The receivers were called in a year later.

The Pearce family and their colleagues intend to go back to work on January 6, not knowing if the doors to the factory will be locked.

Mark said: "We will make the most of Christmas but this year I can't see what we've got to look forward to."