Historic pottery firm jobs saved

The future of an historic Derbyshire pottery company has been secured in a last minute take over - saving 170 jobs.

Mason Cash and Co, based in Church Gresley for two centuries, is the last factory in the world to make the famous Cornish Blue range.

The firm went into liquidation in January 2004.

But it has been brought by the Nottingham-based Tabletop Company, a manufacturing and importing business.

Harry Hockaday, from the Ceramic and Allied Trades Union (CATU) said: "Although during the liquidation there was a handful of members who unfortunately lost their jobs, it has virtually saved the rest of the hourly-paid.

"There are one or two changes that are, I believe, planned for the management structure.

"But I've been given assurances that that there are no more redundancies affecting the hourly-paid employees, our members."