TV COMPONENTS manufacturer LG Philips Displays is making 70 of the 320 workers at its Blackburn factory redundant.

Bosses today said the redundancies were necessary to ensure the long-term viability of the plant, which makes cathode ray tubes for televisions and computer monitors.

The announcement comes just eight months after 150 staff at the factory were made redundant to cut costs.

A total of 50 operator roles and 20 support jobs are to go, including voluntary and compulsory redundancies, and managers said they would help departing staff to find new work.

LG Philips' plant at Simonstone is not affected.

Blackburn plant director Phil Brown said: "It is with great regret that we have had to announce this redundancy programme today. The decision in no way reflects on the performance of employees at the plant, who have worked hard and demonstrated considerable commitment."

He said £1.3million would be invested on quality and productivity improvements through new technology.

He said: "Moving forward, we have a highly skilled and committed workforce and improved technology here at Blackburn and we will continue to build on our reputation as a world class manufacturing and development centre for cathodes.

"We cannot stand still or afford to be complacent within the current business environment where demand for our product has reduced.

"Wherever possible, we will continue to invest in the people and equipment necessary to ensure the long-term future of the Blackburn operation."

Philips has been one of the town's largest employers for more than 60 years. In its heyday in the late 1950s, the plant, then known as Mullards, employed more than 6,000 people.