ONE HUNDRED workers are to lose their jobs over the course of the year after a firm announced it was scaling down its Norton plant.

Morganite Crucible, part of the Morgan Crucible Company, has revealed it will transfer some manufacturing to other parts of the group in India and Germany. The organisation, which currently employs approximately 140 people at its site at Norton, near Worcester, will make 100 redundancies by the end of the year.

Nineteen redundancy notices have already been sent out which will take effect from the end of March, and over the course of the year the rest will be posted to staff.

Steve Cooper, personnel manager, said: "We have regretfully had to confirm 19 redundancies at the end of March and further redundancies will happen throughout the year.

"But we are putting together a full support package for the staff. We are currently talking with the Learning and Skills Council and the Jobcentre Plus to put together and finalise the package in the next couple of weeks."

Mr Cooper said the firm would, however, continue to run the furnace manufacturing and distribution from the Norton site with the remaining staff.

In February last year the organisation, which produces crucibles and foundry products, announced it was considering stopping manufacturing at the plant. It said the rise of the pound against the dollar and the Japanese Yen had affected the company's profitability.

It had also cited increased competition from Asia as another reason for the decline.

The company has been based at the Norton site, in Woodbury Lane, since 1939. Over the last 10 years the workforce has fallen from 300 to what it is today.

In 2001 it underwent a £7 million redevelopment which saw a disused jam factory transformed into a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The investment was meant to safeguard the jobs which at the time were under threat as a result of the strong pound.

Peter Luff, MP for mid Worcestershire, said he intervened a year ago to see if there was anything that could be done.

"I spoke to the managers and was satisfied nothing could be done, it was clear nothing could be done to stop it happening," he said.

"It is a great shame but I believe employment is strong. They are specialised manufacturing jobs but I am reasonably confident they can find other work."