A DIRECTOR at a Derby firm said his company was lucky to escape being owed tens of thousands of pounds after the demise of Donington Park – but he felt for those who had lost out.

Jamie Elliss spoke out after 37 Derbyshire businesses were listed as creditors of Donington Ventures Leisure Limited, which ran the track.

The company collapsed in November after the boss, Simon Gillett, failed to raise the £100m needed to ensure it could host the British Grand Prix.

When the firm went into administration it owed more than 300 companies a total of £4.8m.

Among the creditors was East Midlands Business Services, in Friar Gate, where Mr Elliss is a director.

The company was one of the last to receive any money from Donington Ventures, days before it went under; it is still owed £690.

Mr Elliss said: "We helped place people in the organisation, everyone from front-of-house to senior finance people.

"We helped Donington Park so they did not have to use recruitment agencies.

"At the end, a lot of people who we placed in there were coming to us saying, 'We've not got a job. It's a real shame'.

"We are very fortunate about the amount we were owed, although it's our first bad debt in the six-year company history.

"We have a very tight payment period, unlike some of the poor souls owed thousands and thousands."

Carl Johnson, based in Melbourne, was responsible for mowing the 500-acre Donington site and for maintaining the trackside. He was left a massive £78,367 out of pocket. Orchid IT, based at Pride Park, was owed £22,176 by Donington and car recovery and breakdown firm Mick Avery and Co, of Woodville, owed £14,812.

Other firms in Derbyshire left out of pocket include GEM Steel Fabrications, of Derby, owed £2,691; TCR Systems, in Alvaston, £153; Smith of Derby, £197; and SP Photographics, of Melbourne, £150.

Documents also show Donington Ventures owed £139,000 to Leicestershire police and £83,000 to St John Ambulance.

Castle Donington Parish Council was owed £12,690 in unpaid fees connected to Donington Market. Council chairman Chris Hills said: "It means we won't be able to fund projects in the village."

Yew Lodge Hotel and Conference Centre, in Kegworth, was owed £1,419; Tess Plumbing, in Castle Donington, £1,115; and Mainline Tool and Plant Hire, in Swadlincote, £12,590.

Doctors, including Matthew O'Meara, of Belper, were also owed hundreds from fees associated with race day on-call duties.

One bemused former boss was contacted on Friday by administrator Begbies Traynor and told he was owed £1,000 – despite retiring two years ago.

Derek Cudworth, of Alvaston, used to run County Cleaning Services, which cleaned windows at the circuit.