JOBS are on the line at Pork Farm Bowyers, after it was announced this week that sausage production at the Trowbridge firm could end.

Staff were told on Wednesday, 5 December, that the company is in negotiation with Kerry Foods Ltd to sell off the branded sausage business and to combine their van sales operations to retailers.

General manager, Wayne Day, said: "The net affect will be a more focused, streamlined operation which is likely to involve less people whether this means redundancies is unclear at the moment."

Tim Keirl, of the Transport and General Workers Union, said: "People are obviously concerned because we are going to need less people.

"We just have to try and look after our members as best we can, but until we start talking numbers there is not a lot we can do."

If the deal goes ahead, Kerry Foods will be allowed to use the Bowyers name on the sausages they produce.

Bowyers will then concentrate on its other products, such as the pastry and fried goods it supplies to supermarkets and convenience stores.

The merger of van sales operation will mean Pork Farms becoming the exclusive brand for pastry and fried products sold through the operation, to be known as Kerry Foods Direct to Store.

Mr Day said: "We would expect to see a significant increase in distribution of our fried and pastry products which would partly compensate for the loss of sausage production volume."

Bowyers has been operating from Trowbridge for nearly 200 years and the 7.5 acre site has four factory operations: sausages and savoury foods, bacon and sausage rolls, the bakery and nut production lines for vegetarian products.

The sausage business took off in the 1950s and the brand has become a familiar sight in shops throughout the west.

Mr Day added: "On the one hand it is an emotional time, the end of an era because we won't be producing Bowyers sausages.

"On the other hand we are going to be doing other things to take the company forward."

There are currently about 1,000 workers employed at Pork Farms Bowyers, including temporary staff taken on for the Christmas period.

Ironically, the company has had to bring in workers from other towns and still has about 40 vacancies for temporary staff it is looking to fill.

Subject to consultation with employees and regulatory approvals, the deal will go ahead in March next year.