Earlier closure for meat factory

The site made cooked meats under its own brand and for supermarkets

Managers at the Tulip meat processing plant in Wirral are to close the site two weeks earlier than planned.

Three hundred jobs will be lost at the site in Bromborough. Last month managers rejected a rescue plan drawn up by unions.

The closure was to "give the workforce the opportunity to spend additional time focused on securing new employment", a spokesman said.

Production at the Riverview Road facility will end on 28 April.

Tulip made cooked meats for supermarkets as well as under its own brand.

'Difficult time'

A skeleton staff will remain on site to oversee its final decommissioning.

All workers will still receive their full notice period and redundancy entitlement.

Managing director Peter Judge said: "Thanks to the professionalism that the team here has shown during this difficult time we have been able to transfer production out of the site more quickly and effectively than anticipated which in turn has allowed us to bring the closure date forward.

"We hope that by allowing employees to enter the jobs market at the earliest possible opportunity we will have helped to enhance their chances of securing alternative employment.

"A number of employees have already found alternative employment and we will continue our programme of support to help everyone wherever possible in their efforts in finding new jobs."