Sauce protester takes to the roof

Ray Egan with his Daddies for Justice sign

An HP Sauce lover, upset at the imminent closure of the company's Birmingham factory, took his protest to the rooftops.

Retired police officer Ray Egan dressed as English icon John Bull and got onto the roof in Aston on Tuesday morning.

He said he was doing it because he loved the sauce and also because it was a shame to see another British icon being transferred abroad.

Production is moving to the Netherlands with the loss of 125 jobs.

Manufacturing is due to stop at the site on Friday.

Mr Egan, with banners reading Daddies for Justice, a reference to the famous Daddies Sauce, said he was staging a peaceful protest.

He said: "I wanted to campaign because I love my HP Sauce.

"I feel we are losing another bastion of Britishness. It's a world famous brand.

"Its like we are selling the family silver."

He added no-one had tried to stop him from getting onto the roof and bosses had been fine about it.

Mr Egan ended his protest at lunchtime.