ALMOST 100 jobs are to be lost at a Hindley Green factory.

Nearly one-fifth of jobs at Volex Accessories Limited, Leigh Road, will be axed because greater competition has meant the selling prices of goods have had to be slashed.

A redundancy programme involving 97 job losses from the 543 strong work force at the plant - which manufactures wiring accessories - was announced earlier this month.

Personnel Manager Maurice Speed said: "The necessity for this is driven by a dramatic reduction in selling prices achievable in the company's market place and the fact that the business is predominantly now competing with direct imports into the UK."

The news is hot on the heels of the news that Xanadu -which would have created many new jobs - will not be built in Leigh.

Local Cllr Brian Thomas said he was shocked and disappointed at the news of the Volex redundancies.

He said: "I am very disappointed to hear something like this. It's a shame this had happened right before Christmas. Volex don't really have the reputation for laying people off. It definitely is bad news."

He added Hindley Green, like the rest of the Wigan borough, already has high figures of unemployment.

Cllr Thomas said: "Throughout Wigan Metro there is a high unemployment rate since the loss of mills and mines. We're losing jobs left, right and centre. Xanadu would have created thousands of new jobs. It should have been put on Plank Lane."

Regarding the Volex redundancies Coun Thomas said he was most concerned about the effect it would have on the younger members of staff.

He said: "It's the young ones that this will upset the most."