The company says ageing machinery is a problem

Huntsman said the jobs had to go at its Whitehaven site because of difficult trading conditions and ageing machinery.

The company, which also owns chemical sites on Teesside, says it is now unable to guarantee the site's long-term future and that of the remaining 200 jobs.

Site manager Michael Carter said the company remains committed, but cannot make long-term promises.

He said: "We intend to carry on in Whitehaven. I and the leadership team will work tirelessly of every hour of every day to try and make sure this site survives.

"We can't say we will guarantee that, nothing is guaranteed in business today.

"But in the coming months we will work as hard as we can to secure the future of the units and the product portfolio we have, to serve a good, strong UK market."

At its height, more than 2,000 people worked at the site, formerly owned by chemical giant Albright and Wilson.