EURO MP Mark Hendrick has urged bosses at the troubled Lucas Aerospace site to look to Eastern Europe in a bid to save 70 jobs.

Mr Hendrick believes the firm should try to find partners in countries like Russia to establish new markets for its natural gas cylinders.

During his tour yesterday of the factory, which is set to close its cylinder manufacturing facility, Mr Hendrick put managers in touch with European Union representatives in Moscow.

And he urged the firm to forge links with firms in central and Eastern Europe in a bid to find new markets for its products.

"There is huge potential in Russia with its vast reserves of natural gas and the fact that it is already committed to using it in vehicles," said the Euro MP for central Lancashire.

"I'm hopeful that we can perhaps try to create a partnership so that the potentially lucrative market in natural gas-powered vehicles can be captured." The intervention by the Burnley, Pendle and Ribble Valley MEP comes after a group of 40 workers travelled to Westminster to lobby MPs, including Burnley's Peter Pike and Gordon Prentice of Pendle.

The Lucas factory switched to cylinder production to try to protect jobs as part of the diversification away from arms-related activity.

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