Fears for Leicester print jobs as Harmsworth begins consultation

24 February 2009

Business

Newspaper printer Harmsworth Printing has entered into a consultation over the closure of its Leicester printing facility.

A 30-day consultation with 66 staff at Harmsworth Printing Leicester – a subsidiary of Harmsworth Printing – was started yesterday (23 February).

The move comes at the same time as Harmsworth Printing's parent company Northcliffe Media Group announced that its editorial staff across the Midlands would be centralised, risking further jobs in editorial.

If a closure does go ahead at Leicester, printing of the Leicester Mercury and a number of other Northcliffe titles would move to another Harmsworth site.

The closest facility is Harmsworth Print Derby, while there are also locations in Bristol, Didcot, Plymouth, East London and Stoke.

The company confirmed that a consultation had begun, but it would not be drawn on any detailed plans.

The Leicester plant runs a Goss HT60 web offset press alongside two Ferag folders. It can handle a maximum of 128 pages, 96 in colour – both of which are the smallest of Harmsworth's seven facilities.

Harmsworth Printing closed its Grimsby plant late last year, leading to the loss of 58 jobs.