A Coventry MP has condemned the way announcements have been handled about the closure of the city's Massey Ferguson tractor factory, which will result in the loss of 1,000 jobs.

Geoffrey Robinson said was seeking urgent talks with the company on Tuesday.

The factory is being closed by its parent American company Agco.

"The way the redundancies have been handled is a disgrace," said Mr Robinson, MP for Coventry North West.

It's clearly a huge blow to the city and the area

David Frost, Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

"This comes out of the blue - no consultation, no warning - and I really think it is no way to behave.

"We will be seeking urgent meetings with the owners to see if there is some way we can minimise the impact."

David Frost, chief executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the closure was a major blow to the city.

"There is a feeling of real disappointment over the announcement," he said.

"It's clearly a huge blow to the city and the area because this region had a long association with Massey Ferguson."

But he sounded a note of optimism for the future.

'Cope with loss'

"I don't think that the loss of the factory will be terminal.

"In the last few years the economy of Coventry and Warwickshire has changed significantly and I think it's much better placed to cope with this loss."

Professor Keith Cowling, of Warwick University's economics department, said the closure could not be blamed on the government's failure to join the euro.

We will be able to accommodate workers locally

Carl Pearson, Coventry City Council

"The company has said the euro is one of the reasons for the closure, but the FT says the pound is at a 32-month low against the euro," he said.

He said the closure is much more to do with the Government's failure to develop a coherent manufacturing strategy.

"This will be a real blow to Coventry coming so soon after the problems at Marconi," he said.

Coventry City Council's assistant director of regeneration, Carl Pearson, said the region would cope with the redundancies.

"Over the last few years we've seen a number of companies announce redundancies and our research shows 74% of those who've lost their jobs have found suitable employment.

'Body blow'

"Agco have taken the responsible step of giving notice of six months and, in some cases, a year.

"We'll work with them over that period and I think we will be able to accommodate workers locally."

He explained the area was already benefiting from European and Advantage West Midlands funding.

"Massey Ferguson is one of the larger employers in the city, but I don't think the loss of the factory will change Coventry's economy greatly.

"This isn't the body blow of the kind we suffered in the early 1980s."