Almost 100 people were made redundant this week after a Preston manufacturing firm was placed in administration

On Monday workers at UP Mex, Roman Way, Ribbleton, were told that the factory was closed with immediate effect, with the loss of 95 jobs.

In the April the Scottish Simclar Group bought the company with a promise to create jobs and quadruple the £7million turnover of UP Mex.

But this week bosses blamed the strength of the pound, the rise in the costs of raw materials, and Far East competition for the closure.

One man who had worked there for more than ten years, said: "We think that Simclar just bought it for the Ikea order and a new in house mechanism that has attracted a lot of attention. We got a cheque for about £250 and will get the statutory minimum redundancy pay off. We feel totally let down."

A spokesman for Simclar, said: "Simclar has made every attempt to save the plant, we spent £500,000 funding losses at the firm, but this was not something we could continue to do in the long term."