A FOOD factory in Hyndburn is to close with the loss of 60 jobs.

Management at the former Noel's factory in Stanhill Lane, Oswaldtwistle, called a meeting with workers yesterday to announce that the plant will shut in October.

At least 48 workers will lose their jobs at the end of June, and a skeleton staff of between eight and 12 people will stay until the end of October to oversee the winding-up process.

The company, which has traded in the town as Noel's since the late 1950s, was taken over in 1994 by McCormick Europe. The goods produced at the Oswaldtwistle plant, which include sauces, herbs and spices chiefly for the catering trade, still bear the Noel's brand name.

The firm says the closure has come about because production operations were being duplicated by another McCormick factory in Paisley, Scotland.

McCormick has another production site in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, and workers are being offered the chance to relocate to one of the other sites. The company has offered workers careers guidance and assistance in finding new jobs.

Representatives from shop workers union USDAW have had talks with management during the last fortnight.

Workers were told they could take Thursday off, and some employees took advantage of an offer to discuss their situation with bosses that day.

Site director Colin Disney said: "It is a very sad day for all our team here in Oswaldtwistle. This is a commercial decision based on the need to efficiently utilise overall production capacity.

"Our staff in Oswaldtwistle possess a deep product knowledge and skill base and we hope that a number of them will take advantage of opportunities for redeployment to continue their employment with McCormick Europe at another of our production facilities."

Hyndburn Council economic development chairman Coun Bernard Dawson said: "We are saddened at this closure and our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs. We will offer every assistance we can."

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