More than 60 jobs in jeopardy

MORE than 60 jobs are under threat at an Ipswich plastics firm, The Evening Star can reveal today.

Talks have been taking place this week between management and staff at bpi.stretchfilms , based in Farthing Road, about the possible closure of the factory.

The Suffolk factory is one of four around the country owned by British Polythene Industries and makes clingfilm and plastic packaging.

A spokesman for the company said: "We have entered into discussions with the workforce about the possible closure of the site. Until that is completed it is presumption as to how many redundancies there will be."

The factory, formerly Gooch Plastics, is thought to employ upwards of 60 staff who received a letter on Tuesday asking them to attend a meeting the following day where they were told their jobs were in jeopardy.

A final decision is expected at the beginning of June.

The spokesman said the discussions had been prompted by the "competitive market" the company was working in and said he was unaware of any third party interest in taking over the site.

Bpi.stretchfilms' other factories are at Bridgwater, in Somerset, Leominster, in Herefordshire, and Widnes, in Cheshire.

The news comes as a second jobs blow for the town just days after Agilent Technologies announced the closure of its Whitehouse Road site with the loss of 35 jobs.

The company said it is to close its operation in the town, which specialises in fibre optics, within three months.

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce Chief executive Bob Feltwell said: "It is disappointing when Ipswich loses any sort of manufacturing businesses. "It is particularly sad where plastic firms are concerned as there is strong competition from other countries."

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