A WORKER at the Westbury Dairies plant has hit out at bosses after they told him his job is to be axed along with 10 others.

Colin Hutton, 33, of Wierside Court, Edington, was among 11 operation technicians who were informed last Monday their contracts are not going to be extended beyond their probationary period.

They have not yet been given a finishing date but Mr Hutton said he has been told there are more job cuts looming.

The 11 workers had joined the company at the start of the year on a six-month probation period but the news they were not to be kept on came as a surprise.

Mr Hutton said: "I worked there for a month last year through an agency but then took on a permanent job as an administrator for the NHS in Chippenham.

"I then got a phone call from someone at Westbury Dairies offering me a full-time job in January. There was no mention of it being temporary so I accepted.

"My job with the NHS was as secure as houses and there is no way I would have left if I had known I was going to be made redundant after six months.

"I was promised the dairy was doing well and that this was a secure job. I now regret taking it up, as do the other 10 including one man who had been employed at the same place for 20 years."

A meeting between management and worker representatives was held on Monday but Mr Hutton walked out along with a colleague after they were not given any answers.

Mr Hutton said: "I feel as though we have been tricked into working for them and now the busy period of the year is over they are getting rid of us.

"I don't understand. Why give us a pay rise and ask us if we wanted to join the pension scheme and then do this?

"I am now wrecked because I have bills to pay and my future is unsure. They haven't even told us when they plan to get rid of us so it makes it even harder to plan for the future."

Westbury Dairies was saved from administration when a consortium of three milk firms sealed a takeover in October 2003, but the latest job cuts have led to fears its future is still shrouded in uncertainty.

Mr Hutton said: "The atmosphere is at an all-time low in the factory as no-one knows what is happening. The official line is Westbury Dairies is doing well but I am not so sure.

"This is not the end of the job cuts. We were told at the meeting that at least four more will be made redundant in the next few months."

A spokesman for Westbury Dairies said: "The staff were brought in on a probation period and now that is up we are not going to keep them on.

"We have been going through a lot of restructuring since the plant was saved from receivership and it has to remain viable. We are in a good state and moving forwards it is just unfortunate we needed to make changes."