ENERGY minister John Battle has given his backing to the fight to save 70 Lucas jobs in Burnley.

He has promised to hold talks with deputy prime minister John Prescott and other top ministers to see if Government help can prevent the closure of the gas cylinder manufacturing plant, due for shut-down at the end of the month.

His pledge was delivered at a meeting in London between union chiefs, Lucas bosses and Burnley MP, Peter Pike who arranged the talks.

News of the breakthrough came as 50 workers from the Widow Hill Road aerospace factory travelled to Parliament today to address Labour MPs and call on their support for the campaign.

Works AEEU union convener Terry Burns said the meeting with Mr Battle was "very positive" and he understood the need to continue manufacturing the cylinders used for natural gas to power environment-friendly vehicles in the USA.

He said: "The minister sees the need for urgency, because it is clear that if the plant closes, the process will be lost to this country and will go elsewhere." Mr Burns said the minister understood the point that the Lucas factory, which had diversified from its former role in the arms industry, was ahead of the field in cylinder production.

Undoubted future demand had not yet materialised and the works had to buy time for demand to pick up.

"When it does take off, we need to still be here so the UK has a source of supply," added Mr Burns.

Meanwhile, former Burnley council leader, Kath Reade, has slammed the Lucas decision to close the plant.

She told the council's economic committee it was "extremely sad and regrettable" that decisions were being made in American boardrooms which affected the lives of local people.

The Lucas workforce had been extremely productive and had met its targets and the local firm should have more control over its own destiny.

Coun Reade paid tribute to the efforts of the council, unions and MP Peter Pike in trying to save jobs at the Lucas plant.

Committee chairman Tony Harrison said Burnley had a loyal and dedicated workforce and no blame could be attached to it for the closure decision.

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