BEATSON Clark bosses want to close its Barnsley glassworks and move all business to Rotherham, leaving 130 staff under threat of redundancy.

But the Stairfoot workers will have to wait until October to learn of their fate because the proposals will now be considered under a 90 day consultation period.

Beatson managers were called to the Rotherham site on Wednesday morning while the firm's chairman called the union reps together at the Stairfoot factory to break the news.

T&G union shop steward Roy Cole says it is unthinkable that Beatson, which has been making bottles in Barnsley since 1930, could take its business out of town.

Many of the staff have clocked up more than 30 years of service and the factory was once filled with families working side by side.

Roy said: “There’s people who have been here their whole working life, it's part of the village. We will fight this to the bitter end.”

Company managers, in a press release, state: “This proposed development will enable us to to consolidate our market position and continue to offer a flexible responsive service to our customers.”

But no mention was made of the Barnsley workers and when the Chronicle asked about their future a spokesman said the company had nothing further to say.