WORKERS at a crafting firm founded by a TV star said they are worried staff and their families will become infected by Covid-19 due to safety failings.

Concerns have been raised after four workers tested positive for Covid at Crafter's Companion, founded by star of Dragons' Den, Sara Davies.

Staff at its headquarters, in Newton Aycliffe, said the firm does not comply with social distancing and said workers are being left in the dark.

A relative of one worker said: "I find it disgusting that they are prioritising their profits over their own staff health. They have their birthday promotion coming up when the warehouse is most busy and they keep bringing more people in preventing social distancing from even being a thing just to cope with the demand.

"I really worry. They need to be held accountable for their potentially deadly decisions."

In response, managing director Simon Davies, said: "Crafter’s Companion takes the health and wellbeing of its staff very seriously. It is paramount that our employees feel safe and we are continuously assessing our processes to make sure that they are in-line with government guidelines.

“We have been made aware of four positive cases of Covid-19 among our staff. In accordance with the current protocols, these employees are currently self-isolating at home, and as a precautionary measure, all members of staff who have been in close contact with these employees are being asked to self-isolate.

“The company has implemented rigorous measures across all parts of the business since the beginning of the pandemic, including increased cleaning, PPE and social distancing. We will continue to proactively communicate these measures to employees to ensure that our staff adhere to the strict procedures we currently have in place.”