THE first of the axed Burnley Lucas workers left the factory yesterday - nearly 20 years after he first joined the once-mighty aerospace plant.

Peter Barker joined the company, which once employed thousands of workers in the town, on January 29, 1979, just months befoe Mrs Thatcher came to power.

Yesterday, he became the first of the 70 workers, who now accept they have lost their battle to save the gas cylinder plant, to go.

Others will follow, leaving fewer than a 100 workers at Lucas aerospace in Burnley -- the lowest number since before the war. Job prospects for Peter, who was in charge of deliveries at the Widow Hill Works, appear bleak. He is 52, suffers from angina and a severe back disorder.

"There is only so much I can do," he says. "But my wife is also disabled and I will do everything I can to find work."

He says he is very disappointed by the attitude of the Government which he and other workers hoped would step in with support for the gas-to-fuel-cars project which they are convinced will be a major success when the market and demand develops.

But he is not bitter about the company which employed him for the past 19 years.

"Lucas has always been fair to me, but I think they handled this particular situation very badly," he adds.

A high profile campaign reached the House of Commons on Wednesday when Burnley MP, Peter Pike, was told no special government help was available.

Disappointed union leaders and workers blame top Lucas management and the government for not giving enough support.

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