A THOUSAND workers in East Lancashire were to escape a massive ICI jobs axe, it was revealed.

Takeover-threatened ICI said although it had identified a total of 4,000 jobs to be cut nationwide and it was going ahead with a major restructuring, Darwen and Clitheroe sites were not involved.

ICI employed about 800 people at its Darwen Perspex plants and was spending £10 million developing its Clitheroe operation.

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