Oil refinery workers 'devastated' over closure

More than a hundred people have gathered at a protest demanding the government take more action to save the Lindsey Oil Refinery from closure.

The demonstration outside Grimsby Town Hall comes after Energy Minister Michael Shanks announced the plant near Immingham, in North East Lincolnshire, was to shut because a buyer could not be found.

The Official Receiver took over the site last month after its owner, Prax, went into administration, putting 420 jobs at risk.

Shane Tomlinson, 45, has worked the refinery for 20 years and said: "It's devastating for everyone".

"Where is the work in Grimsby and Cleethorpes for people like this," he said.

"There isn't any."

His views were echoed by his colleague Greg Codling.

"All the young lads have got mortgages, they've all got young children," he said.

"There's going to be a lot of people all at once looking for the jobs that are not there."

Simone Barker, whose dad works at the refinery, attended the demonstration with her son.

She said: "It's his future, it's his brother's future, it's all the children [who are] leaving school, it's not right."

Employee Pete Spencer, 52, said: "It's going to have a massive effect on the area.

"I've been there 22 years. I've been a good servant, loyal servant to the place and it's going to hit everybody in this town hard all across the board. So it's a massive loss to the town, a massive loss to the area."

Harriet Eisner, from Unite union, said: "They [employees at Lindsey Oil Refinery] shouldn't be made redundant, that place is viable.

"It's not just the people directly employed by Lindsey Oil Refinery it's the contractors, all the people in the supply chain the local businesses who rely on their patronage. It's going to be devastating."

"The government need to work a lot harder in getting a business to take over Lindsey Oil Refinery so there is a future for the people in this community".

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: "The government will immediately fund a comprehensive Training Guarantee for these refinery workers to ensure they have the skills they need and are supported to find jobs in the growing clean energy workforce."

Lindsey is the smallest of the UK's oil refineries, according to the government.

It is located next to the larger Phillips 66 Humber refinery, which continues to operate.

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