EAST Lancashire MPs today admitted they were fighting a losing battle in their bid to stem the tide of more than 1,500 lost jobs.

Janet Anderson and Greg Pope have been locked in talks with company bosses at Rossendale-based travel firm Airtours and Accrington factory Leoni Wiring after the two companies announced they were quitting the area.

But Mrs Anderson has failed to persuade Airtours to remain at their Helmshore site and the holiday giant's move to new headquarters in Rochdale will go ahead.

Mr Pope, who has called an emergency meeting with trade and industry minister Dick Caborn over the loss of 550 jobs at the former Lucas Rists site, said he was still hoping to try and reverse Leoni's decision to close the factory but conceded: "It will be hard."

The news follows a week of devastating job losses to the area which began with the news Airtours was to relocate.

Then Blackburn firm SSL International, formerly Cupal, announced it was to close with the loss of more than 100 jobs before the Leoni bombshell revealed another 550 jobs would go at the company's Pickup Street site.

Mr Pope said he would seek whatever aid he could to try and persuade Leoni to change it's mind.

He went on: "I am devastated by this closure. As someone born and brought up in the constituency this hurts deeply."

He added: "I will be asking what the government can do to try and persuade the firm to stay."

Mrs Anderson said the Airtours move was a "done deal" and she urged Rossendale Council to do all it could to boost job creation.

Lancashire County Council said it was preparing to offer workers at Leoni a comprehensive package of help.

Deputy leader Frank McKenna said: "This is a shattering blow to the individuals concerned and to the East Lancashire economy."