In the last three years Westfield Mill made an aggregate loss of 3.6m and at the end of this first quarter the business reported pre-tax losses of 930,000.

The mill only has a capacity of 30,000 tonnes a year and one paper machine, so it cannot compete effectively in the commodity products market.

It follows the closure of its Kilbagie Mill and 170 job losses in September as part of a restructuring programme (PrintWeek, 21 September 2001).

Executive chairman Ken Minton said: When Kilbagie closed, we transferred as many staff as we could. Unfortunately this means that were fully manned up, so there is just no room for the Westfield employees.

The remaining three mills are Caldwells, Carrongrove and St Cuthberts, which focus on stationery and publishing papers, heavy papers and greetings cards, and resin loaded products and arts papers respectively.

Minton would not confirm that this latest closure signalled the end of the restructuring.

Story by Rachel Barnes