TORFAEN politicians spoke of their sadness over job losses at Burton Foods’ biscuit factory in Llantarnam.

The move to axe seventy jobs was announced yesterday, with the company saying the decision was made to make it more competitive and reduce costs.

Burton Foods - which bakes brands such as Maryland Cookies, Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels - will begin a consultation period over the redundancies today.

In a joint statement local AM Lynne Neagle and MP Paul Murphy said they were "saddened" by the news, saying they hoped the company will do all it can to ensure there won't be a need for compulsory redundancies.

Factory general manager Ben Arnold said it has not yet been decided who will lose their jobs from the 734-strong workforce.

He said: "We need the work force the right size to meet the demands of customers. There is a possibility there may be more job losses in the future, but it’s all about securing the future of the site by making the company more competitive."

Bakers food and allied workers union regional secretary John James spoke of his disappointment at the job losses.

But, he said things could have been worse, with Burton’s Foods also announcing yesterday that its Moreton facility on Merseyside will close completely with the loss of 342 jobs.

Mr James said: "We’re obviously disappointed 70 people will lose their jobs, but there are 700 people employed there and we are fairly safe in the knowledge the plant has a future."

Burton Foods also announced yesterday that it will invest £7 million in new machinery and processes its plants in Llantarnam and Edinburgh.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: We hope factory survives

IT IS always of concern when a local employer tells its workforce that jobs are to be lost.

And the news from Burton's Foods at Llantarnam is no exception.

The shock news yesterday that the factory at Llantarnam is to shed 70 jobs is a blow to all those involved.

The company, which has six plants across the country, has also announced it is to close one of the sites altogether, which is of course a worrying sign.

But at least the company's £multi-million investment in new plant for the Llantarnam and Edinburgh factories shows that there is some confidence the restructuring will enable the company to get through the current economic downturn.

Our hope is that the 70 job losses announced for Gwent yesterday will help the company survive, thereby safeguarding the other 664 of jobs at the factory and giving the company the option of expansion if and when the economy picks up.