THE boss of a hatchery which burned down destroying over three million chick eggs today vowed the company would not fold.

Mike Haines, manager of Mayfield Chicks, Ewood Bridge, Haslingden, said all 45 jobs were safe and added: "We're not going to throw in the towel".

The cause of the huge blaze is still under investigation but fire investigators are believed to be looking at the factory's electric system.

Fire swept through the 60,000 sq ft hatchery last Wednesday with 100 firefighters tackling the flames at its height.

Management called a crisis meeting with staff to discuss the future after fears over jobs.

Mr Haines said the company had no plans to move from Haslingden and would rebuild on the same site.

He said: "We've all worked really hard and it has involved a lot of planning but we are going to continue.

"All of our employees are working, not necessarily in their original jobs, but they're all working.

"We're also planning to have a get-together at Haslingden Cricket Club for all the staff to keep everyone's spirits up.

"We hope to keep everyone employed and the way things are going, we should be employing more.

"The fire not only destroyed the hatchery but the offices too."

The company is operating from offices 100 yards from its previous site and is using other hatcheries around the country to keep supply running.

Mr Haines added: "We're using hatcheries from Edinburgh to Wiltshire. We have a lot of support from the industry.

"It's really close knit and they've been fantastic.

"We've not lost any customers at the moment and everyone is very understanding and positive.

"We want to stay where we are, it is ideally located. We like the location and its access to the motorway and the site is big enough to build again while the original building is being demolished."

No cost has been put on the fire yet, although it is expected to run into millions.

Mr Haines said: "The insurance company is still working on that.

"I just want to thank the fire service for all they've done. They're absolutely superb."