Staff vote to end factory fight

The factory will finally close in 2010 with production moving to Poland

Workers at the Cadbury chocolate factory in Keynsham, near Bristol, have voted to give up their battle to keep it open.

The 500-strong workforce at the Somerdale plant were balloted on what to do next after the company confirmed it would move production to Poland.

Employees and union officials had been urging people to boycott the firm's products.

But the Unite union confirmed the campaign against closure had ended.

'Cost reduction'

Steve Preddy of Unite told BBC News: "We are a bit disappointed but we respect the decision taken by the work force.

"It is linked to a security of employment agreement they have. There was a risk that they could expose themselves to losses."

The Keynsham factory is to close by 2010 with the loss of about 500 jobs. A further 200 jobs will go at the Bournville plant in Birmingham.

The Keynsham production will be moved to factories in Poland and Bournville as part of a wider cost reduction plan announced in June.

As part of the move the Bournville plant will receive a £40m investment.

Last year Cadbury Schweppes had said it would cut 7,500 jobs and close about 15% of its manufacturing sites.

At the time, Cadbury said its other two UK chocolate manufacturing sites, at Chirk in North Wales and Leominster in Herefordshire, would be "unaffected" by the plans.