A SITE which was once the hub of industry in Blackburn could be brought back into use.

The former Royal Ordnance Factory in Roman Road, which closed down in 2002 causing the loss of 120 jobs, could be brought back into use as a Mercedes truck dealership.

The factory, which was built in 1940 and for many years known as “The Fuze”, was once the town’s largest employer with more than 5,000 people working on munitions.

The factory’s name came about because the majority of components in production related to the fuse mechanisms used on most explosive devices at the time.

Workers produced fuses for the shells and bombs that would later fall on the Western desert and German cities, including Munich and Berlin, during the Second World War.

In its production halls clockwork mechanisms were machined and assembled, mainly by women.

It is said there were three men to every 200 women, as most of them were fighting in the conflict.

The site at Blackamoor was a target for enemy planes, so it was covered in special camouflage paint, designed to reflect the landscape and make the buildings invisible to pilots in the sky.

There was a pillbox, where machine gunners would have been scrambled if a lucky Luftwaffe crew managed to pinpoint it – as well as a lookout post where, one day, employee Albert Whiston spotted a German Dornier aircraft on its bomb run.

The enemy did know about ROF Blackburn, however, and several unsuccessful raids were made, though production continued round the clock.

During the war, the factory employed a 5,000-strong workforce on two 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, while a loudspeaker would belt out wartime favourites across the shopfloor.

Along with mass production of fuse mechanisms, it also developed safety and arming mechanisms for many more of the sophisticated weapons in development during and after World War II.

These safety and arming units provided safe handling for missiles whilst under transit conditions and safety for operator personnel up to the time of having to be armed.

In March, the site was put up for auction and sold at £422,000.

Now plans have been submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council, proposing to use the site as a Mercedes truck sales and service centre.

The current Ciceley Commercials Ltd site at junction 4 of the M65 is currently running at full capacity.

Ciceley Commercials Ltd along with other franchised Mercedes dealerships, are now required to separate vans and trucks sales and service centres.

Therefore, it is proposed, subject to planning permission, to dedicate commercial vehicle sales, servicing, repairs and vehicle storage to the new site on Roman Road.

The Roman Road site would become the truck sales and service centre, with the existing Darwen site retained as the van sales and service centre.