Meat firm axe 'may hit hundreds'

Hundreds of jobs are at risk at a meat factory in Norfolk after the company announced it was shifting production.

Tulip Ltd said it was stopping making fresh pork and bacon products at its Caxton Way headquarters in Thetford with the potential loss of 350 jobs.

The firm says the site is inefficient, and has been making losses for years.

Tulip says it is expanding its plants in King's Lynn, and at Linton in Cambridgeshire, and some new jobs will be available to workers there.

Union consultation

Peter Judge, managing director of the North East division, said: "This proposal is in no way a reflection on the quality or dedication of our workforce and we very much regret the impact that today's announcement will have."

He said the Thetford site had "inherent infrastructure and environmental issues that we are unable to overcome".

Management will now enter into a 90-day consultation period with representatives from the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G).

Tulip Ltd, one of Thetford's biggest employers, has been based in the town for over 40 years.

It has 17 sites throughout England and employs approximately 7,500 people.