POLITICIANS are making last-ditch attempts to keep Remploy employees in work after shock news that the company’s Poole factory is to close.

Remploy’s board has decided that bids to turn the premises into a social enterprise hub did not meet the criteria of preserving jobs for disabled people or providing value for money.

Employees at Poole and three other sites have now been confirmed as being at risk of redundancy.

Remploy says it will continue looking for ways redundancies can be avoided, including trying to identify other jobs within the organisation.

The 16 staff at Poole will now go through a consultation period of up to 30 days.

The man who led Poole Remploy rescue attempts, social enterprise manager Giles Verdon, said: “We’ve been told that the bid didn’t have sufficient proof of financial stability. It’s an enormous shame and not for want of trying. We were the only site to put in three bids.

“The closure will be a loss to the community and a loss to Poole. Whether you agree or disagree with segregated employment, some of the staff have been here for 35 years. One member of staff at the age of 45 will probably never work again.

“It’s a very sad time when someone gets rewarded for hard work by having this thrown in their faces. For a lot of people who work here, work is their family, friends and social interaction.

“It strikes me that the government is making a saving on a false premise. The cost of putting someone from employment into unemployment is enormous for the taxpayer.”

Cllr Peter Adams, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Borough of Poole, said: “We are completely shocked to hear that the Poole factory is to close.

“We will leave no stone unturned in trying to keep this service and support those people who are affected by the closure.”

Cllr Adams, council leader Cllr Elaine Atkinson and economy portfolio holder Cllr Xena Dion issued a statement saying Poole MP Robert Syms was contacting the minister for urgent discussions.

The plant is in the constituency of Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns, who said he had been working closely with Mr Verdon’s team.

“I’m very disappointed and not a little bit angry. I think the whole thing has been rushed. I don’t think that the guys in Poole were given sufficient time or support from the board of Remploy to come up with a viable business plan,” he said.

MEP Julie Girling is looking into European funding to support the factory, while discussions with Bournemouth council were continuing to see if a similar workshop could open there.

The possibility of integrating some of the work into Poole day centres is also being considered.