A PETITION and a heartfelt plea have been laid before Poole council by disabled workers desperate to save their factory and their jobs.

The beleaguered Remploy factory at Alder Hills has been struggling for survival since 2007, when it was saved from a countrywide programme of closures, with the proviso it found new work from public bodies.

But the staff, who previously had a long-term contract sewing lifejackets, have had little or no work since, and their numbers have fallen from 46 to just 18.

Councillors passed a motion in 2007 pledging to support the Parkstone factory.

But since then the council has been slated for its efforts by Annette Brooke, Liberal Democrat MP for Mid-Dorset and North Poole, who is championing Remploy.

Senior shop steward Lorain Sheen has now presented a 350-signature petition and again pleaded for support.

Speaking before the full council, she said they had only been offered one task by the council, which was “totally unsuitable”.

She added: “We are all very disappointed that you appear to have forgotten us.

“Even though our members have learning and physical disabilities, we are capable of undertaking training and producing quality products. We deserve the chance and ask you to provide that chance.”

Cllr Mike Brooke, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said work was urgently needed if the factory was to survive.

“The employees want action, not words,” he added.

Councillor Brian Leverett, Conservative leader of the council, said officers were aware of the “desirability to procure from Remploy” and had “worked to see whether this is feasible”.

But he said the council was bound by procurement regulations and existing contracts, which could not be terminated without costs or risking litigation.

He said: “The extent to which we can buy from Remploy is limited by the scope and nature of the goods and services they are able to provide. We would not wish to procure something we don’t need. To do so would in effect mean providing a subsidy to the company.”