UP to 50 local jobs will be lost with the closure of Tottington's Hallis Hudson blind and curtain rail factory.

But the company say they want all the workforce to move to a new factory in Preston, and are even offering to pay travel expenses, and pay for the hours staff spend travelling.

The firm have recently secured a lease on a new site in Preston, and want to rationalise all their three sites, including the production arm at Glen Mill, Scobell Street.

Up to 50 staff, the majority of them women, will be offered the chance to commute at the company's expense, or take redundancy.

Mr Andrew Davenport, sales and marketing director, said: "We will pay for transport to the new factory, and pay the workers for the time they spend travelling. So, if they set off at seven in the morning and return at five in the evening, they will get an extra two hours pay."

He said the scheme would run from September, when the new premises are set to open, for three months and then be reviewed.

"We hope all the workforce will want to come with us," he said, but admitted women with young families could find the extra hours travelling too much.

"If people do not want to move they will be given statutory redundancy pay and an ex-gratia payment equivalent to four weeks wages," he said.

He said the firm would not pay any relocation expenses.

Rumours of closure were rife at the Scobell Street mill more than a week before being confirmed on Wednesday.

One worker, who did not want to be named told the Bury Times last week: "Everyone here is terrified. There's no way people want to move."

The firm are offering individual counselling to all the staff affected.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.