DETECTIVES probing the collapse of the former Ravenhead Glass company are hoping to put further questions to management of the glassmaker's Belgian parent company.

For more than three years, detectives working with support from the serious fraud squad have been investigating the running of the Nuttall Street firm and the discovery of a £5 million black hole in the company pension fund.

Two detectives working full time on the case have sifted through thousands of boxes of paperwork, attempting to track down glass suppliers from across Europe.

Complex legal proceedings are under way to enable detectives to direct questions to directors of the Belgian houseware firm Durobor.

Police first have to get permission from Belgian authorities and if it is granted questions would then be put to the directors via magistrates in Belgium.

Management of the firm were questioned earlier in the investigation, but after trawling through further documentation, police want to put more questions to the directors. A UK based Ravenhead employee, meanwhile, arrested during the initial stages of the inquiry remains on police bail.

Despite the drawn-out investigation police say they are making progress and a case conference involving serious fraud squad detectives was due to take place this week.

St Helens MPs Dave Watts and Shaun Woodward moved to give an update on the investigation and the company pension fund which has been frozen since the discovery of the substantial deficit.

They revealed, Berry Birch and Noble solicitors, who are trustees of the pension fund, are hoping to reach an out of court compensation payout from the firm of solicitors, who originally managed the pension scheme.

Money from the settlement would be divided among workers who are members of the pension fund. They will also receive additional money through the government assisted fund, currently being set up to help workers across the UK affected by similar pension shortfalls.

Mr Watts, MP for St Helens North said: "After the government has received the recommendations (by the end of October) they will publish their proposals and after further consultation hope to finalise the scheme by May 2005.

"Both Shaun Woodward and I remain committed to doing all we can to resolve any outstanding issues and to ensuring a fair deal for Ravenhead workers.