A GLASS factory has axed 45 jobs after administrators failed to find a buyer for the company.

The administrators are now in the process of winding up Polar Glass, based on Junction Seven Business Park, Clayton-le-Moors, after deciding it could not be sold as a going concern.

They had been trying to sell Polar Glass since December 22 when parent company Planet PVC Group, one of the North West's biggest suppliers of conservatories, windows and doors, went into administration.

Parts of Leyland-based Planet were sold back to a management team led by Planet chairman and founder Dean St John.

But Polar Glass was not part of that deal and the workforce was axed when several other companies withdrew their interest in the firm.

Administrator Bill Dawson, of Deloitte, said: "We have spent a couple of weeks looking for a buyer for the Polar Glass business but it has become apparent that nobody has expressed an interest in the business as a going concern. "Half a dozen companies had shown some initial interest and we took them on site visits, but when we followed up there was no further interest in buying the company as a going concern.

"The majority of the workforce was made redundant and only skeleton staff remain in the selling off of the company's assets.

"We are helping employees put forward their redundancy pay claim to the government."

Polar Glass was acquired by Planet PVC Group two years ago and Planet's retail operation was responsible for the majority of its turnover.

Polar Glass could have carried on supplying to Planet's retail business, which was saved last week, even if it was under new ownership, but Planet has decided to source its glass from elsewhere, according to Mr Dawson.

The Polar Glass factory was shut up yesterday afternoon and there were no signs of any employees at the site