MEYER International, the giant cookware firm which bought the Prestige brand, is set to save some of the jobs lost following the collapse of the Burnley-based company.

The development came as workers leaving the Prestige factory for the last time yesterday insisted the business could have been saved - if a receiver had been called in earlier.

Meyer is understood to be opening a small factory in Burnley to produce spare parts for pressure cookers - employing 15 former workers from the doomed factory.

The first employees will start work at the Farrington Close unit on Monday - just three days after the giant Prestige plant closed its doors for the last time.

More than 50 former Prestige workers applied for jobs at the new works, which goes into production next month.

Meyer, which bought the Prestige and Skyline brands, goodwill, customer and trade records, designs and tooling for a reputed £6 million, dashed hopes that it would become a major Burnley employer when it announced it would continue to carry out all manufacturing outside the UK.

The latest development does provide some jobs, however, and hope that there can be future expansion in the town.

A management buy-out of the Prestige Ewbank carpet sweeper division, saved around a dozen jobs in Burnley.

And Burnley council, which has linked with unions and job creation agencies to offer help to the 330 redundant Prestige workers, say jobs have been found for around 100 former employees.

The final 70 Prestige workers left work for the last time yesterday and marked the occasion with a drink with receiver Sue Watson. But they insisted: "If she had taken over 12 months ago, there would have been no closure."

Stores computer worker, Steve Ellis, who was leaving after 10 years at the works, claimed: "She has run the factory this last six months, the way it should always have been run - efficiently and well.

"We could see last year that things could not go on as they were, yet no-one was doing anything about it."

Mr Ellis, of Briercliffe Road, Burnley: "While we were working seven days a week, 12 hours a day, we feel top management was letting us down."

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