The news came after a week of speculation about the firms future. The staff were told the news by GPMU regional officer Tom Lowe who admitted the firm seemed fairly intent on closing the site for good.

The fact that the senior directors were apprehensive about telling the staff gives you some indication of the kind of relationship that existed there, said Lowe.

The printer, which had sales of 20m in 2003, is owned by Singaporean media group Times Publishing.

Publishers looking to find new homes for titles currently printed at the plant include IPC, Haymarket and the National Enquirer.

Reed Business Information has managed to move the 10 titles it had at the company. RBI operations director Martin Bloomfield said: Much credit is due to the professionalism at Polestar Colchester and Wyndeham Heron, with whom weve managed to place the new contracts.

Story by Tony Brown