A "shattered" former TGI Fridays employee has slammed how the company suddenly closed its North Watford branch this week.

On Monday (October 7), the cash-strapped American franchise agreed a rescue deal with Breal Capital and Calverton UK that will see 51 of its eateries remain open, including the site in Watford High Street.

However, the St Albans Road restaurant is among those closing, with all staff losing their jobs with immediate effect.

One employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Watford Observer  that staff had been left in the dark about the closure, with the chain now refusing to pay their wages and tips for the last week.

This email was sent to all staff on Monday.This email was sent to all staff on Monday. (Image: Anonymous) She said: "I am owed around £115, plus tips, which they are refusing to pay. We've been told to go to the government for redundancy money because it's out of TGI Fridays' hands now."

On the delivery of the news, she said: "On Monday we got an email in the morning being told a sale had been completed and they wanted to provide further updates.

"Less than an hour later we got another call being told we should join a meeting at 1pm. We were told the company has been struggling for the last few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. That's what they decided to blame it on instead of their own incompetence."

She added: "We were just told that's it, you're gone, you don't have a job anymore.

"I've been left shattered by what's happened. There were people who had families, there are parents who now don't have a job and can't look after their children. I understand businesses closing but this was done extremely unfairly."

The employee claims a decision on their future was quietly made weeks ago, despite reassurances that their jobs would be safe, saying: "Its disgraceful, we've been left in the dark, given hope, and then had the door shut in our faces."

She claimed overall around 30 jobs had been cut, but that has not been confirmed by the restaurant chain.

A TGI Fridays spokesperson declined to comment.

Breal Capital and Calverton has been contacted for comment.