A BRITISH Sugar worker has described how workers have been "knocked for six" at news their 75-year-old factory is to close in 12 months time.

The 52-strong permanent workforce were the first to be told of the decision they have been dreading ever since the company revealed in August it was starting a major review of its UK operations.

It also affects some 60 casual workers who each winter take up the four month vacancies that occur in the seasonal sugar processing campaign from October to January

But long standing rumours, confirmed on Tuesday, of plans to concentrate operations at the bigger Telford processing factory have done nothing to lessen the blow in Kidderminster.

Wyre Forest District Council leader Mike Oborski said the council was seeking an early meeting with the company to press home the "long association" British Sugar has had with Kidderminster and to ask if there was anything the council could do to persuade it to reverse the decision. But he was "not optimistic" about influencing decisions made many miles away in the offices of big companies.

However, there was concern about the effect on farming in the area and on the factory's other local suppliers.

Chaddesley Corbett farmer Ian Pardoe, who is among several big sugar beet farmers in Wyre Forest already struggling with weather problems, was concerned about extra mileage costs transporting the crop.

Shift worker Andy Fletcher, 32, who has worked at the Stourport Road factory for 15 years, said: "Everyone knew it was on the cards but when we were told it would be Kidderminster that would go rather than Telford it was a real downer. Some people have mortgages because of their jobs and it has knocked them for six."

The company decision reportedly taken late last Friday puts the Kidderminster plant among three being axed in the country as a result of an overhaul that will concentrate all sugar beet crop processing in fewer factories.

The other affected factories in Ipswich and Bardney, Lincolnshire, are to close earlier after this year's harvest.

Last year Kidderminster produced some 75,000 tonnes of British Sugar's total UK annual output of 1 million tonnes.

The company said it was setting up job shops over the next few months to help workers with employment problems.

Spokesman John Smith said: "We are hopeful all those who want to move will be able to find alternative jobs. We also expect some will want to take early retirement."

But Mr Fletcher said major disruption to people's lives was unavoidable and some may not want to move. A father of two children including a 15-year-old, he pointed out many families would be reluctant to uproot schoolchildren and leave relatives and family.

British Sugar's agricultural and operations director Karl Carter said: "We must continually improve our efficiency to maintain our long term competitive edge and these actions are part of this process.

"However, our main priority now is to study the individual needs of the people affected. We believe we will be in a position to offer posts elsewhere in the company for staff who wish to move."

Wyre Forest council is expected now to target the 70-acre site as major employment development area. But Mr Oborski said he was "sad British Sugar's final bequest was to sell off part of the land for an incinerator in a deplorable deal with Severn Waste Services."