MIDDLETOWN – Electric scooter manufacturer Vectrix Corp. has laid off most of its staff as it prepares for a possible bankruptcy filing later this month, SmallCapNews.co.uk reported today.

Middletown-based Vectrix has been hit hard by the recession and the freezing up of the financial markets. The company still hopes to avoid bankruptcy, possibly through a merger or sale of the company, the news site reported.

In the meantime, Vectrix is trying to conserve cash. The company’s Web site, Vectrix.com, has gone dark.

Vectrix laid off 60 employees in April, the same month trading in the company’s shares was halted by the London Stock Exchange.

Vectrix was founded in March 1996. Like many companies, it is formally incorporated in Delaware. The company also has engineering and test facilities in New Bedford and production facilities in Wroclaw, Poland, plus sales offices in London and Rome.