BROMSGROVE'S MP. Julie Kirkbride, is to meet the pensions trustee and administrator of failed United Engineering Forgings firm on Friday in a bid ensure former employees get the best deal.

She says she is determined to ensure staff receive the maximum value for their pensions rights given the complexity of the winding up arrangements.

The meeting, in Birmingham, is with Simon Ranshaw, pension trustee and Myles Halley for administrators KPMG.

Miss Kirkbride said she wants to gain a full picture of the remaining assets of UEF which before the break up was based on six sites across Britain.

The value of the pensions for workers made redundant, but not yet in receipt of their pensions will now depend on the cash realised from sales of the sites.

She said: "I was heartbroken when we could not persuade the administrators to sell UEF as a business."

Z There's more on UEF on page 3, and you can see readers' views on the factory closure in a Letters Extra on page 15.

"Now the sacked workers need to know how much money has been realised by the sale of the six sites as that will make a big difference to the remaining value of their pension.

"I am deeply saddened that many workers have lost the financial security they believed they would have in retirement.

"I need to keep tabs on the administrators to ensure they get the best possible deal."