The millionaire owners of bankrupt parcels firm City Link cried crocodile tears yesterday as workers across Britain formally received their redundancy notices.

Witnesses reported “absolute chaos” at distribution centres as staff were called in before dawn to hear their fate and customers rushed to find their parcels amongst an estimated million stuck in the system.

Business Secretary Vince Cable faced renewed pressure to act after it was revealed that tax-dodging parent company Better Capital (BC) will get £20 million from administrators while taxpayers are left with the redundancy bill for 2,700 direct employees.