EMOTIONS ran high as the end of the line came for 100 Royal Worcester Porcelain workers who finished their last shift yesterday.

Some, believing they had a job for life, were tearful, others said good riddance.

All were sad to be losing a job where their rare skills were essential and where they had made lasting friendships at the factory in Diglis.

They were told the axe was coming in January, as the factory continued to refocus on producing prestigious ornamental pieces.

Yesterday, dozens gathered in the Salmon's Leap pub outside the factory museum for a farewell pint.

The latest redundancies - with about 30 to follow in July - means just 40 workers will be left at the factory.

Geraldine Lane has worked at the factory for 38 years. She joined straight from school. She said: "I'm not bitter, but morale was really, really bad. We didn't know where we stood. We were told nothing at all.

"We asked loads of times about redundancies and the company told us nothing," said the 54-year-old, from Holly Close, Droitwich.

She said the company had tried to help them to find new jobs - mainly, she thought, thanks to pressure from their union CATU.

One worker, who had been with the firm for 48 years and wanted to remain anonymous, said poor marketing was partly to blame for the redundancies.

"Bad marketing is part of the reason we had to go - they hadn't found out what the market wants," he said.

Gordon Hay, head of personnel, said earlier this week the market had "not remained buoyant" and the job cuts were necessary as the company restructured.

No one from the company was able to comment on how workers had been kept informed of redundancies or how would many workers would remain at the factory.

Another worker said: "I have been there 10 years and I thought I had a job for life, but they've just got rid of us.

"A bit of Worcester has gone - Royal Worcester is one of the only things the city's known for."

The Portland Walk factory and property on Severn Street were sold in August 2004 to pay off borrowings.

Royal Worcester has operated in the city since 1751.