UNION leaders at one of Selby's oldest factories said today they feared for the future after bosses announced a further 40 job cuts.

Unitrition, part of the BOCM-Pauls animal feed group, says the redundancies - most of which will be compulsory - will take effect from this summer.

The latest cull, following the axing of 22 jobs in February, more than halves the workforce at a factory which only a few months ago employed more than 100 men.

The company, which has been based in Barlby Road, Selby, for almost 80 years, blames lack of demand for oilseed and a fiercely competitive market.

Transport and General Workers Union branch secretary Neil Horton said today that the latest announcement was a "devastating blow". He said: "It's disastrous. Morale was already very low after the loss of 22 jobs in February.

"Now we fear for the future of the company - they're just chopping back and chopping back.

"The vast majority of redundancies will be compulsory, involving men who have worked here for more than 20 years.

"It isn't going to be easy for these men to find alternative employment.

"Selby miners facing redundancy are getting a lot of preferential help and perks, including retraining schemes.

"Best of luck to them, but we wouldn't mind a bit of help as well."

Unitrition crushes oilseed for food, pharmaceutical and industrial markets, as well as specialising in upgrading the quality of raw materials. Managing director Tony Bell told the Evening Press that they were closing down an out-of-date oilseed crushing plant, commissioned in the 1930s, which was heavy on manpower.

He said the crushing process was now carried out more cheaply at its origin in West Africa and other parts of Europe, making their old plant unviable.

The company had also suffered in the past few years from poor exchange rates caused by the strength of sterling.

Mr Bell dismissed fears about the company's future, saying it had had just invested £1 million in a new raw material upgrading plant.

He said: "There is a still a future for this operation."

Updated: 15:57 Thursday, May 15, 2003