WORKERS facing the dole following the closure of a Burnley paper mill have been given a lifeline by a JobCentre in Blackburn.

JobCentre Plus has offered to bus workers from Papermarc to a jobs fair at Blackburn Rover's Ewood Park ground.

Bosses at the Blackburn careers centre, in Cardwell Place, decided to lay on the free transport to its annual jobs fair after hearing that more than 200 jobs were set to go at the paper factory.

Workers have been told they will not now receive wages they were due today, but have been reassured by the company's administrators that they could be entitled to state benefit redundancy.

Administrators BDO Stoy Heywood were due to meet workers today to talk about redundancy packages.

Administrator Jeff Jones, of firm BDO Stoy Heywood, said: "We have had to make 230 people redundant, but there will be a core staff of 70 remaining to help with the orderly closure of the plant.

"The factory is being closed, but that is not to say that an investor will not take an interest in the site.

"The workers, unfortunately, will not be paid today, however the majority will, hopefully, get the pay that is due to them in five to six weeks."

Redundant employees will have the chance to speak to 50 employers offering up to 500 jobs at the jobs fair.

The next jobs fair in Burnley will be at Turf Moor on September 23.

Martin Jones, marketing manager at JobCentre Plus, said: "When we found out about all those redundancies we thought we could help out. The Burnley jobs fair isn't for five weeks, but we'd encourage Papermarc workers to go to that as well.

"This year we've got lots of employers from the production and engineering industries.

"We have put on a free bus from Burnley's JobCentre, in Bankfield, to this branch. We've got spaces for 83 people and would encourage as many as possible to come."

Firms signed up for the fair include Capita, B&Q, Glisten and Storey Carpets.

The Blackburn Jobs Fair takes place in Ewood Park's International Suite next Thursday, August 19, from 11am to 7pm. The free bus, supplied by Blackburn Transport, leaves Burnley's JobCentre Plus at 11.30am.