THE government has praised the "loyalty and commitment" of workers at a Hampshire military base - but refused to call on US Army bosses to lift the threat of closure.

Adam Ingram, Armed Forces Minister, said he had received official confirmation that the US planned to shut RAF Hythe, which employs more than 200 civilians to service and repair American military boats, in September.

The 11-acre shipyard at Shore Road, Hythe, is one of the largest employers on the Waterside and contributes £4.5m to the UK economy.

Mr Ingram, speaking in the House of Commons, said the US's decision to withdraw from the base had been taken as part of a wider review which had seen a reduction of American forces stationed in western Europe.

He said: "It will be very disappointing news for the local workforce, especially given the valuable contribution made by RAF Hythe's highly-trained and dedicated workers over the years.

"Many of the personnel have been carrying out those specialist roles since the start of the operation in 1975, and their loyalty and commitment are commendable."

But rather than call on those responsible for the decision to reconsider, the minister simply stated: "The final decision can be made only by the US Government."

Mr Ingram said he had asked the US Ambassador for the withdrawal to be handled in a "thoughtful and sensitive" way.

He said: "It is too early to determine the long-term future of RAF Hythe. If the base is to be vacated, a detailed process will be gone through to lookfor alternative uses. That first involves looking for alternative defence uses. If that is not possible, the site will be offered to other government departments, and appropriate rules for disposal applied."

Julian Lewis, Conservative MP for New Forest East, told the minister the decision to close the base had been taken by US Army bosses against the advice of their own experts.

Mr Lewis said an internal audit into the future of RAF Hythe recommended keeping the base open. He said: "The audit, by the US army's audit agency, found in favour of Hythe that maintenance costs were projected to be significantly lower through continuing with Hythe."

It found that there was a completely trained work force, total resident knowledge and technical capability, and that Hythe provided maximum flexibility, resident expertise to support exercises and no security problems because all employees are security cleared through their affiliation to the US army."

The audit recommended to the commanding general in Rock Island, Illinois, that the closure notice that was under way should be rescinded, as Hythe offered value for money.

There seems to be a rush to close Hythe before the end of the American financial year on September 30.