UNION leaders have lost their fight to overturn the decision to close the Philips TV glass factory at Simonstone with the loss of 400 jobs.

Bosses at LG Philips Displays have refused reverse plans for the closure of the plant, which were announced in December, when they said production at the factory, which was built in 1955, would cease by mid-2004.

Despite meetings between union leaders and bosses, both in Europe and the UK, the closure is going ahead and will be phased in gradually over the next three months.

Regional organiser for the GMB Graham Coxon said they had done all they could to overturn the decision. He added: "The union convenor at the plant, Ken Heaton, went out to Belgium to make the union's feelings known to European bosses and we also held a meeting with them in Manchester because we wanted to make it plain we were unhappy with how the whole situation had been handled.

"However, there was not much we could do and it was a case of shutting the door after the horse had bolted. The whole thing was presented as a fait accompli. We have managed to negotiate a compensation package for the workers."

The first staff left in January and the company expects to close the whole operation in the summer.

The Simonstone Lane factory produces 1.5million TV screens every year and employs a total of 410 staff, 265 full time and 135 temporary.

A third of the workforce have more than 30 years of service and almost half are over the age of 50.

In January 1999, a massive blaze ripped through the factory warehouse and threatened to send toxic fumes billowing across East Lancashire.

The announcement to close the factory was made last year by plant director Steve Dodd after it was discovered that the factory's biggest customer, a Philips-owned cathode ray tube plant in Aachen, Germany, was also being closed. The German plant accounts for 80 per cent of the Simonstone factory's business. Mr Dodd said the decision to close was "very regrettable".