WORKERS at a Radcliffe factory have been laid off after the company went into administrative receivership.

The shock announcement was made to the 70-strong workforce at Bee Mouldings on Friday.

The 30-year-old company produces plastic boxes and lids, and gardening equipment. It moved to its present site in Eton Hill Road from Bury in 1977.

David Appleby, acting for the receivers, said: "Difficult trading conditions and problems in the injection mouldings industry nationally are to blame."

He said that some of the workforce were laid off on Friday, but a number had been kept on to carry out limited production this week.

Mr Appleby stated that it was their intention to sell the business as a going concern, but said it was too early to speculate any further.