We are fighting tooth and nail to keep our jobs

Dean Apps, factory worker

Managers at the factory said they cannot afford to hire any extra staff and the factory has been making increasingly large losses.

David Ireland, appeals and public relations director for SeeAbility, said: "Over the next period there are going to be more costs involved in providing the training and development of workers.

"That has been the last straw that potentially breaks the camel's back."

Visually impaired

Dean Apps works at the factory and is branch secretary of the National League for the Disabled and the Blind union (NLDB).

Joe Mann: "We need to fight to keep the factory"

With three children to support he is worried that if he loses his job it will be hard for him to find work as 80% of visually impaired people are out of a job.

"We are fighting tooth and nail to keep our jobs.

"People cried at the announcement to close the factory. It was terrible.

"They are trying to keep their chins up, but people are panicking. It's their life," he said.

Extra costs

Joe Mann, national secretary for the NLBD met the factory's trustees on Wednesday.

He challenges management figures which put the costs of implementing the government scheme at �100,000.

He said extra money could be available to offset the costs.

Mr Mann said: "Factories all over the country have been in this situation before and have brought in commercial managers and turned them around.

"Once the factory closes it will never reopen. We need to fight to keep the factory open for the future."