A loyal employee of Worcester's biggest employer has issued a rallying cry to save the firm.

Catalogue giant Littlewoods Shop Direct, formerly Kays, employs about 700 people in the city and the woman, who does not want to be named for fears of compromising her position at work, is appealing for city residents to get behind her fight for the Bransford Road warehouse.

So far, she has collected more than 200 signatures on a petition and is now appealing for more people to sign up and help collect signatures.

Coupons and petition sheets should be returned by Monday, January 16.

She wants to present the petition to the Barclay Brothers, who own Shop Direct, to try to convince them to keep the Worcester warehouse going and the whole firm intact.

In September they said it would close. A reprieve was announced at the end of October but its future remains in the balance and could be decided at a company review at the end of this month.

She said: "It is one of the last big businesses left in Worcester. Metal Box, Faithful Overalls and Bennetts Dairies have gone. We should try to save the warehouse as a business for the future.

"I think that in the near future it could be gone for good and another household name bites the dust. Nobody is doing anything to save our businesses."

The campaigner said: "In this country we are losing industry and going into the service sector." She added that once Britain's manufacturing base was lost, the countries that now offer cheaper products would be able to charge us what they like.

She said Kays had played a big part in her life.

"Working there has been important to me. It has taught me a lot and given me a lot of skills and confidence that I did not have. The company had done a lot for Worcester and offered good employee pay and conditions," she said.

"It has organised social events involving the community, it is a learning centre giving employees an opportunity to extend their knowledge and has provided work for local contractors and suppliers and business to local shops where employees go.

"What will Worcester do to try to repay these good deeds. I really want to see the warehouse stay open and I am urging Worcester people to stand together and fight for Worcester businesses."