IT was a day of mixed emotions as the last Burnley Prestige workers left the factory for the final time - and went for a beer with the woman who sacked them.

Receiver Sue Watson bought drinks and food for the remaining 70 employees as the curtain came down on the famous cookware works.

The remnants of a one-time army of 1,000 production workers signed off early yesterday and headed for the nearest BAR, Churchill's, to say a final farewell to workmates and raise a glass with the Birmingham-based receiver.

For the few who had remained to turn out final orders, there was no longer the feeling of stunned shock which had followed the New Year's Eve announcement that the famous-brand cookware company had collapsed into receivership. They had, at least temporarily, survived the redundancy axe which had felled 220 of their colleagues within days of the news.

But as they left the massive glass-faced factory for the final time yesterday, there were other emotions. There was anger and sadness. Bitterness too.

For older employees who had served the 50-year-old Colne Road plant for years, there was a resigned acceptance that their future job expectancy was low indeed. But the over-riding feeling was that things could have been different - that it needn't have ended this way.

Staff, who had worked themselves to a near standstill in a pre-Christmas dash to meet a mountain of orders, only to be poleaxed by the announcement that the once-proud and most famous quality cookware firm in the country was on its knees, turned their wrath on old management.

And, surprisingly, their praise was saved for Mrs Watson, brought in to fulfil remaining contracts, dispose of assets - and finally sack them.

Stores computer worker Steve Ellis, of Briercliffe Road, Burnley, who was leaving after 10 years at the works, was not optimistic about future job prospects.

Mr Ellis, 43, said: "Most jobs specify they want younger people than me. And it is not worth getting out of bed for the £2-£2.50 an hour on work which may be available for me."

Mr Ellis, said Prestige's last product, a pressure cooker, left the lines on Monday, but workers had to stay at their posts throughout the week.

"We swept up, cleaned machines, played cards and just started to vegetate," he added.

"The atmosphere at the works has been bad for months, and I am glad it's over."

Ian Sutcliffe of Hurstwood Avenue, a worker for 25 years, had seen the jobs of many of his best friends axed at the start of the year.

"In some ways it has been a hell hole over the last six months.

"I expected to retire from Prestige, but it was not to be - and the workers were not to blame for what has happened.

"I don't blame Mrs Watson, either. She should have been brought in to save the company a year or more ago."

Team leader Irene Cochrane, who had been at Prestige for seven years, said the atmosphere on the final day had been strange.

"We have been down in the dumps for months, but today the end seems to be a relief."

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