IT is a bitter irony that within 24 hours of celebrating the expansion of a Worcestershire company this newspaper must report on the catastrophic demise of another.

Yesterday, we rejoiced that Webbs of Wychbold was expanding with the creation of 70 jobs.

Today, it is our grim duty to inform the readership about the impending disaster at Kays.

It is forecast that 700 jobs are at risk. But these are not just clocking-in cards, anonymous entities, cogs in the machinery.

We are talking about flesh-and-blood folk here, families with children... people with hopes and futures.

Feelings will be running high in the Faithful City today. Kays is not just a workplace, it has been a way of life for generatons of Worcester people.

This company is built into the city's consciousness. Indeed, the annual pantomime is a reflection of the role Kays plays in the local community.

And that is why this newspaper calls on everyone to rally round to find a solution. Management and unions must make every effort to find a compromise.

But most of all, we call on all the county's Members of Parliament - especially city MP Mike Foster - to fight Worcester's corner.

The looming disaster is, in relative terms, just as devastating as the recent Longbridge crisis.

And that is why our representatives must immediately start asking questions in the very cradle of our democracy - the Houses of Parliament.