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ANGRY former MG Rover workers have reacted withy fury at news their former bosses are to receive £1 million each.

And many said the shock windfall should be handed back to the 6,500 workforce who lost their jobs when the Longbridge car firm collapsed.

The Mail had told how the Phoenix Four – John Towers, Nick Stephenson, Peter Beale and John Edwards – and ex MG Rover chief executive Kevin Howe are to receive the huge payouts nearly a decade after the car firm closed with debts of more than £1 billion.

It follows a much-delayed agreement between the Pensions Regulator and liquidators Begbies Traynor.

Giovanni Esposito, 50, once a chassis design engineer who worked at Rover for 25 years, said: “If these people were even half decent they would put it back into the pension pot and say ‘We don’t deserve this.’

“Or they could distribute it between the workers. That’s £5 million between 5,000 employees – everyone would get a £1,000 Christmas bonus. But it won’t happen because they don’t care.”

After he lost his job the dad-of-two, from Rednal, went on to become Birmingham Poet Laureate for 2006/7 and has performed at Glastonbury twice. But many former Rover workers have struggled to find work.

Readers and ex-car workers responded to our story on Facebook and joined the wave of condemnation.

Andrew Graham said: “As an ex-employee I am angry to think that they are still benefitting from this whilst there are still employees out of work I’m still struggling but have a job.

“I think they could help those families with this money or donate it all to a charity.”

Brenda Davis-Bates said: “They should do the decent thing and hand it over to the workers. If they don’t then shame on them, and may they NEVER have another day’s peace of mind.”

And Carol Smith said: “A lot of people were left broke, in debt and everything else that comes with losing their job. Yet these four people can benefit from destroying families’ lives. Disgusting world we live in!!!!”

Heather Husler added: “What about the hard workers, like my hubby Lee Husler who was there for more than 15 years? Worked really hard and worked nights for years. Disgusting.”

And Patri Caines said: “We went through a rough time money wise when Rover closed we both lost our jobs. A little money would have helped.”