Tannery factory to close

The firm is Ireland's last working tannery

A leather producer in County Down is set to close with the loss of more than 50 jobs.

International Leather said on Wednesday that it would have to wind-down because of low orders and major losses.

The firm, based in Killyleagh, near Downpatrick, is Ireland's last working tannery.

The Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (AT&GWU) said 53 people now faced losing their jobs.

The union said it was in talks with International Leather about trying to keep the plant open.

Alison Gribben of the AT&GWU said she could not understand how the company had found itself in its current situation.

She said it was "a further attack on the NI manufacturing base".

"I call upon those ministers charged with responsibility for Northern Ireland to act with responsibility to take whatever steps are necessary to secure not only 53 jobs, but the last of their kind in Ireland."

In a statement, the company said it sincerely regretted the move which was "due to the unsustainably low level of the company's order position and substantial losses already incurred this year".

"International Leathers (NI) Ltd has been tanning and selling lambskin leather from its plant in Killyleagh, Co Down since 1990.

"Following five years of profitability, the company has faced extremely challenging market conditions in 2004.

"Demand has been weak from all major markets and the company has suffered from the weakness of the US dollar, resulting in significant losses being incurred," said the company.