FASHION shoe maker, J.H. Hirst of Rossendale, is to slash its workforce by more than a third - throwing 119 people onto the jobs scrapheap.

Some 59 redundancies will be declared at the century-old firm's Waterfoot factory and the company's St Helen's sewing works is to close with the loss of 60 jobs.

The latest hammer blow for the Rossendale footwear industry means the workforce at the family-owned business will have shrunk from 545 to under 200 in just six years.

Hirst's say the latest cuts are necessary to make the company viable and protect remaining jobs at the firm.

Rossendale shoe union official, Michael Murray, who held talks with senior management before today's announcement, said he was aware the firm was facing severe difficulty.

And he slammed Government policy which allowed 87 per cent of all footwear to be imported.

"This is another tragedy for the area, the community and the people and the Government just does not seem interested in protecting manufacturing or the footwear industry."

Mr Murray, secretary of the Rossendale Union of Boot, Shoe and Slipper Operatives went on: "The only good that can come of this situation is that it will put Hirst's back on a production level it can sustain and safeguards the jobs that are left."

He said the firm would initially ask for voluntary redundancies at its Whitewell works.

He added: "We simply cannot continue to sustain job losses like this."

No spokesman was available for comment at J.H. Hirst today.

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