FIFTY shocked factory workers have learned they are to lose their jobs at leading puzzle factory Ravensburger.

The Bicester company that makes Winnie the Pooh and Teletubbies puzzles has announced it is to shut down its production lines and warehouse at its site at Bessemer Close in April.

Ravensburger Ltd blamed the strong pound for the decision.

A sales and marketing department of 19 staff will remain, but a question mark hangs over where they will be based.

The company signed a 15-year lease on the factory when it moved there in 1997 and is now searching for another company to sub-let the property.

The company once prided itself on being one of the last puzzle factories to make its products in Britain while its competitors were turning to factories in the Far East.

Its puzzles will now be made in Ravensburger's other factories in France, Germany and the Czech Republic. Managing director Harald Pfanner said: "Our employees will receive statutory redundancy pay and compensation.

"Many of them have worked for us for ten or 15 years and they have no experience of applying for jobs.

"We will also contact companies and recruitment agencies in Bicester to help our colleagues to find jobs in any way we can. We would like to seem as humanely decent as possible.

"When we moved here we had a clear commitment to this site and we were competitive. In the last three years the pound has appreciated 30 per cent against European currencies, making our UK operations less viable than other European group manufacturing sites."

Paul Jobling, chairman of Bicester Chamber of Commerce, said: "One of the things we do fear at the moment as a chamber is overheating of the economy. This could be one of the first signs of this happening. It is sad to see a company like Ravensburger leaving the town. The only consolation for the 50 people losing their jobs is that, with the present situation regarding jobs in the town, I would not think they would have too much difficulty finding jobs in the town.

"There are companies in the town looking to expand and finding it difficult to relocate because of a lack of premises. This may be an opportunity for one of these firms to move to the site."

Story date: Saturday 26 February

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