Burton's set to axe more than 400 jobs

Burton's Foods, the biscuit maker behind the Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels brands, is to shed more than 400 jobs. Burton's said it plans to close its Moreton factory, resulting in the loss of 342 jobs, following a business review. It has also proposed a further 70 redundancies at its Llantarnam site.

The company, which will now begin a period of consultation with employees, said the announcements were part of a £25m, three-year capital spending drive to build its production capabilities.

The Unite union expressed anger at the announcement. "The [Moreton] plant was saved from the axe in 2007 through the efforts of the workers, their friends in the community and their union," Unite's regional officer, Ritchie James, said. "There is a mountain to climb but we will be doing everything in our power to make sure the last campaign wasn't for nothing."