Helen Mary Jones: Shocked

It is to transfer production to its plant at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire next year.

It is the latest in a series of shutdowns and retractions in the aerospace industry in Wales following the aftermath of the US terror attacks last September.

Workers were told the news on Monday morning.

The company said the exact details were being worked out, but there was a possibility of some jobs being transferred.

Llanelli AM Plaid Cymru's Helen Mary Jones said the news was a big shock as the jobs were extremely important to the town.

"They are good quality, well-paid jobs and had been stable," she said.

The company's managing director confirmed that the plan was for the plant to close in February 2003.

David Bevan said no-one at the plant would be directly affected for some time.

Production is to be transferred to a plant in England

The American group BE Aerospace took over Taylor's - which was set up near Llanelli in the late 1980s - four years ago

The plant manufactures kitchen galleys for aircraft cabins, as well as special sleeping accommodation for flight crew on long-haul airliners.

The company's director of investor relations, said the events of 11 September and the general economic recession in the industry had led to the company announcing restructuring plans last October.

Five factories worldwide will close under the restructuring, Max Kuniansky said.

He said the company very much regretted the decision and it was no reflection on the workforce.

It is the latest in a series of retractions in the aerospace industry in Wales during the last few months.

Redundancies were announced at Airbus' Broughton plant in Flintshire and at Trefn Engineering, Llay, near Wrexham.

RD Precision - which makes components for aircraft - on Deeside also lost jobs.

The aero engine company GE also shed hundreds of jobs at its plant at Nantgarw near Cardiff last October.