Claims staff are being bullied and psychologically abused at a leading Wiltshire employer are being investigated.

A former employee of Lyons Seafoods alleges managers there shout at workers, disrespect them, tell them “they aren’t good enough”, fail to show gratitude and that cliques of workers ‘gang up” on others.

She has a relative still working for the company, based in Warminster.

GMB union regional organiser David McMullan says he plans to survey members at the Fairfield Road factory, which supplies freshly cooked prawns, shellfish and other seafoods.

In response, the firm told this newspaper it values the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff as its "number one priority".

Mr McMullan said: “Nobody has made a formal complaint but we are investigating an anonymous complaint made by a former employee.

“We will be contacting all our membership first to see if there are any issues they want to raise. Without the evidence, it is difficult to approach Lyons Seafood.”

Mr McMullan said the allegations being made by the former employee had not come “as a surprise” to his six union representatives within the company.

More than 200 workers at Lyons Seafoods, two-thirds of its workforce, are GMB union members.

Lyons Seafoods describes itself as “a friendly, ethical and forward-thinking” company which is continually looking to find the right people to join its team.

But that’s not the experience of the former employee, who alleges the company has a culture of bullying and psychological abuse.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I have first-hand been able to experience the 'clique' culture and have had less than pleasant encounters with long term staff as well as other newcomers.

“I have also over the years since have heard about and seen first-hand, the repercussions of the bullying, rudeness, lack of empathy or common decency, which is bred there.

“I would even go as far as saying that certain individuals encourage those behaviours, often rewarding it via 'friendship'. 

“I fear that if some action is not taken, the management of the establishment will eventually drive someone past their breaking point and we will have a tragedy on our hands.”

Linda Dickson, HR director of Labeyrie Fine Foods, which owns Lyons Seafoods, said: “At Lyons Seafoods the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees is our number one priority.

“We will be contacting each of our employees individually to remind them of the routes available to them should there be any unacceptable behaviour or practices taking place and the GMB union will be carrying out a survey of its membership in tandem with this.

“We take such allegations seriously and encourage anyone who has experienced or observed any form of unacceptable behaviour to step forward and utilise the tools that are available to them in order that the matter can be fully investigated.”

Ms Dickson added: “We have a number of mechanisms in place for our employees to alert us to any concerns that they might have which they can raise in person or anonymously.

“We carry out a monthly pulse survey, we have a Whistleblowing Telephone/Email hotline and Speak Up Boxes which are all readily accessible to our people. 

“In May 2022 we had an external audit carried out by SMETA who assess our site to identify any issues regarding working conditions within our business, there were no issues highlighted regarding bullying or harassment.

“We have a number of trained Mental Health First Aiders across the site, on various shifts in place and our Human Resources team is based on site.”