Cheese company jobs could be axed

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Jobs could go in two counties, it is revealed

Jobs could go at a stilton cheese firm after it took over one of its rivals, its chief executive revealed.

Long Clawson Dairy, in Leicestershire, has recently bought its rival Hartington Creamery in Derbyshire from Dairy Crest.

Consultations over possible job cuts will take place.

The takeover has been referred to the Competition Commission since Long Clawson now owns two out of the three biggest stilton production centres.

'Devastation for village'

Staff at Hartington Creamery have been producing Stilton for more than 130 years.

Long Clawson chief executive Martin Taylor said: "Currently the (Hartington) factory's operation at about 25% capacity so you can see a lot of empty space and a lot of empty shelves.

"At the moment pressure's coming on us all the time with increasing costs. We felt the opportunity to increase volume could try and offset some of those costs."

But many people in Hartington fear that at the end of the commission's inquiry, the dairy may close with production transferred to Leicestershire, although Long Clawson has promised to keep the famous village cheese shop open.

Hartington postmistress Sue Wardle said: "Everybody you talk to has worked there some time or other in their lives.

"I've worked there, and (so have) most people you talk to and it's devastation for the village."

Chairman of the National Peak Authority Narendra Bajaria said: "We have good reason to believe that some of the jobs will be transferred to north Leicestershire, some of the jobs could go and there may well be some jobs which may be retained in Hartington, but that is far from certain."