Car-maker TVR lays off 158 staff

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More than 150 workers have been laid off at car-maker TVR in Lancashire - less than a month after it announced production was moving abroad.

The Blackpool factory is due to close, with the eventual loss of 250 jobs.

But the Transport and General Workers Union said that laying off the 158 workers was in breach of a promise made by the firm.

TVR said that it regretted the decision but it had "no further work" for production staff.

David Oxley, managing director, said: "We are continuing to talk to a number of people about plans they are putting forward for the Bristol Avenue factory, but in the meantime we need to make sure we are ready to move production to the new facility as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

"We therefore took the decision to stop production at the optimum point for training and handover, which unfortunately means that we have no further work for production staff here.

There is a lot of anger just now among those affected Andy RobertsonT&G

"We regret we have had to take this decision, but we must remain focused on the future of the company and ready to implement our outsourcing plans quickly."

Andy Robertson, T&G regional industrial organiser, said there was confusion at the factory as to whether or not those who had been told to go home would be paid or not.

"We understand the difficulties and sensitivities of the situation at TVR but we also understand it when we are told there will be no lay-offs.

"Today's announcement directly contradicts promises to the T&G by Mr. Smolenski that while talks continued to try to save the Blackpool plant no one would face being sent home.

"There is a lot of anger just now among those affected."

Established in 1947, TVR was bought by young Russian tycoon Nikolai Smolensky in 2004 and is Britain's largest independent sports car-maker.

In September, TVR said it would be staying in Blackpool, firstly at its current site in Bispham until 2008, and then at a new permanent home at Blackpool Business Park. But a month later the firm said it was ceasing production in the UK and switching to a new site in mainland Europe.

It is now expected to open a new factory within the next three months.