STAFF at a textile mill face an anxious wait to see if they will lose their jobs as the business recovers from a freak storm.

The first machine at the Dutton Carpets' Griffin Mill, Amberley Street, Mill Hill, is up and running and the rest are expected to be switched on by the end of the week.

But 130 jobs are still in the balance as management delay any decision for several weeks until the business is fully operational again so they can assess the storm's impact.

Blackburn MP and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is visiting the company tomorrow to see how it is recovering since 56mm of water fell in just 45 minutes on Friday June 14.

The mill was filled with up to ten feet of water when the nearby River Darwen burst its banks. Staff reported seeing a tidal wave smash through the mill's wall and flow on down the street, sweeping six cars along with it.

As water filled the mill's ground floor, machinery and rolls of fabric were submerged.

The mill has now been cleared of water and staff are working hard to clean up machinery covered in silt and mud.

Estimates put the repair bill at £2million and the management are currently consulting their insurance company.

Last week, management were unsure whether they could sustain the company if it remained closed for several weeks.

But Elizabeth Cox, a director and shareholder of the 23-year-old family business, is now confident they are over the worst of it.

"We are running one machine and hope to get the others up and running soon. We have got all the water out now and everything is being washed down.

"We won't know about the implications for jobs till we get back to normal. The staff have been working hard all week. Everyone has been fantastic."