A PORK factory is adding to the jobs gloom in a Suffolk town with the loss of 86 workers. Grampian Country Foods is shedding the posts from its Little Wratting plant near Haverhill after a review earlier this year, which prompted the firm to announce the closure of its Elmswell plant near Bury St Edmunds with the loss almost 400 jobs.

A PORK factory is adding to the jobs gloom in a Suffolk town with the loss of 86 workers.

Grampian Country Foods is shedding the posts from its Little Wratting plant near Haverhill after a review earlier this year, which prompted the firm to announce the closure of its Elmswell plant near Bury St Edmunds with the loss almost 400 jobs.

The latest blow for Haverhill follows news that Workspace Office Solutions, formerly known as Project Office Furniture, is to axe 250 staff after administrators Deloitte and Touche failed to find a buyer for the firm, which has ceased to trade.

Alisdair Cox, of Grampian, said the job cuts at Little Wratting would be made through natural wastage and cuts to agency staff.

He said: “It is regrettable we have to look at restructuring the company because of an overcapacity in meat production in the country - a situation exacerbated by cheap meat imports.

“The job losses will be spread across the entire workforce and we hope there will be no enforced redundancies at Little Wratting.”

A spokesman for Deloitte and Touche said: “Workspace Office Solutions is retaining a few employees to assist the administrators with certain matters including the disposal of the remaining assets. The outcome for the company's creditors is uncertain as this will be subject to the future realisation of assets, which will be completed over the next two to three months.

“All creditors will, however, be advised of the estimated outcome in due course. In the meantime the employees that have been made redundant are entitled to claim for the money due to them under the terms of their previous contracts of employment.

“The administrators are disappointed that it was not possible to sell this established business as a going concern, particularly given the support of the employees, customers and suppliers during the short period that the company traded in administration, and their priority is now to maximise the realisation of assets for all creditors.”

Gerry Kiernan, a St Edmundsbury Bourough Council member for Haverhill, said: “This is a serious blow for the town to loose that many jobs in one go because it will leave a lot of people looking for jobs at the same time.

“The most important thing is everyone gets all the help they can get to find work. We hope there is enough work nearby - the local economy has been going quite well so we hope as many people as possible can stay.”

Jason Fitzpatrick, membership coordinator for Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, said he remained confident the local economy could find work for the redundant workers.

“For anybody losing their job in circumstances outside of their control it is a shock for them and their families,” he said.

“But the majority of businesses are doing well in Haverhill and the loss is not a reflection of the economy as a whole. There are a lot of businesses in Haverhill and there is every hope everybody will find work.”