THE new chief executive of Blackburn cake firm Inter Link has revealed more staff are employed at its Shadsworth bakery than ever before.

The firm announced in a trading statement yesterday that sales had fallen, but it is looking forward to a busy Christmas with its Blackburn site already prod-ucing millions of mince pies.

And it has also been announced that Chris Thompson, formerly group finance director, has been appointed chief executive with immediate effect.

Mr Thompson replaces Paul Griffiths, who stepped down earlier this year to pursue private and charitable interests.

And Mr Thompson, who previously worked for retail giants including Asda and Woolworths, has revealed Blackburn has a strong future, with 500 staff working at the site now, up from 300 in recent years.

The company employs a nearly 2,000 across the UK.

He said: "Our Blackburn bakery, a key for us at Christmas, is producing literally millions of mince pies. We have a very strong order book.

"We have been building up the level of production and employment. We are employing more now in Blackburn than we have ever had before.

"Our corporate head-quarters are here and will remain here. We are very positive about the future.

"The cake market is expanding and we are the second largest manufacturer in the UK.

"We are determined to at least grow in line with the expansion in the market. It's a very exciting, positive market to be operating in."

In its trading report, Inter Link revealed that a series of moves including the closure of a bakery and the transfer of customers to a central distribution depot in Warrington, have meant extra costs for the company.

Exact turnover and profit for the period have not been revealed, but the report says the figures have "continued to reflect the slowdown in sales."