REDUNDANT engineering workers who haven't been paid for five weeks will this week start to receive redundancy payments from the Government.

More than 160 lost their jobs on May 28 after the Peter Miles Engineering firm in Leigh went into liquidation and they packed into the town's Abbey Street Labour Club to hear the good news from MP Andy Burnham.

Continued pressure from Mr Burnham has now paid dividends after his Early Day Motion calling for the Department of Trade and Industry to make redundancy payments to cash-strapped workers -- supported by 35 other MPs -- and some workers will today (Thursday) receive DTI payments.

George Boden, who lost his job as a welder after the engineering firm went into liquidation, said he applauded the MP's action: "I have to take my hat off to Andy Burnham, he has done what he said he would do -- get us some redundancy money. We won't be receiving as much as we expected, but nevertheless we will be getting some compensation, which is down to Mr Burnham."

Now the Leigh MP is continuing to press for a DTI inquiry into the circumstances behind the sudden closure of the engineering firm.

He said: "There are many questions which need to be answered concerning the closure of the firm, and I will continue to call for an inquiry to find out the reasons why the company went into administration."