A FALL in demand was today blamed for 30 shock job losses at Blackburn success story Netlon.

And the firm, which employs more than 350 at its two factories in Mill HIll and Shadsworth, Blackburn, said lack of investment in road building by the Government was responsible for some of the compulsory redundancies.

The firm's Tensar divsion, which produces special grids which are used in civil engineering, has been hit by the Government's cancellation of a number of road schemes.

Chairman Roger Duckworth said the job losses in its consumer divsion, which manufactures products for the gardening market, packaging and horticulture, were due to a reorganisation in the business.

"It is with the greatest regret that we have to make these redundancies," said chairman Roger Duckworth.

"We hope that we can now recover our sales position and there are no plans for any further redundancies."

Just three months ago the firm announced a £2.5 million investment programmes mainly at its Shadsworth site.

Today Mr Duckworth stressed there was no link between the investment programme and the job losses.

Netlon was founded by in 1959 by Dr Brian Mercer who invented the plastic mesh. The firm later patented the Tensar process. The firm was sold in a management buy out in June 1994.

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