ADMINISTRATORS were today hoping to secure the future of an Accrington glass factory after one of Lancashire's premier conservatory companies was placed into administration.

Polar Glass - which employs 40 people at Junction Seven Business Park, Clayton-le-Moors - is close to being sold as a going concern.

Its Leyland-based parent company, Planet PVC Group, went into administration on December 23.

Around 85 jobs were axed within two of Planet's other manufacturing operations last week.

But 200 jobs within the company's North West retail operation were saved when administrators sold it back to a management team, led by chairman and founder Dean St John.

Bill Dawson, of administrators Deloitte, said: "We moved swiftly over Christmas to save the retail operation of Planet Group.

"On December 28 2005, Planet PVC was sold to the management team, which safeguarded 200 jobs.

"We are actively looking for buyers for Polar Glass and the company's main fabrication/ manufacturing unit.

"Retail customers can contact the ongoing Planet business who should be in a position to help resolve any queries on conservatories supplied prior to the administration.''

Staff at Polar Glass yesterday said they were increasingly worried about their future.

One said: "We hope something will happen and a buyer will be found, but we are being kept in the dark. The longer this goes on, the more worried I get."

Chairman Dean St John, who founded Planet in 1996, said: "Our retail customer base in the North West is unaffected by this decision and has never been in stronger shape.

"I would like to stress that no customers, guarantees, or contracts are affected by this."

Mr St John said he would not comment on the sale of Polar Glass, but said a deal was close.He said Planet's main manufacturing unit and roofing plant at Walton Summit, Bamber Bridge, were being sold off because they supplied to poor- performing franchise operations in the south of England, which the company has now severed ties with.

He added: "It is a very competitive industry, but our North West retail operations are doing very well and we are looking to protect that business.

"I am sympathetic to those who have lost their jobs but, at the end of the day, we have to protect the 200 jobs that are still there.

"We still own eight of our own showrooms and have well over 100 manufacturing jobs in the North West."

According to its website, Planet supplies PVCu for conservatories, windows, residential doors, patio doors, porches, cladding and roofline products.

The company, which has thousands of customers across East Lancashire and the North of England, claims to be the fastest-growing installer of PVCu in the UK.

The company's last recorded turnover was around £40million.