MANAGERS are believed to be flying to the North-East next week from Japan for crisis talks on the future of an electronic components factory.

New fears about the future of the SMK plant, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, have surfaced this week.

Rumours that the plant is about to close are rife among workers who remain at the factory, which has seen several waves of job losses during the past three years.

The Japanese business, which opened in 1988, manufactures remote control units for televisions and control panels for photocopiers.

Staffing at the Newton Aycliffe factory, SMK's only site in the UK, has fallen from a peak of 350 in 2000 and is now believed to be in double figures now. The plant was rumoured to be closing last March following a global review of operations, but although there were job losses production continued.

It is thought that 11 more operators are to be made redundant tomorrow, with two technicians to follow.

Three of the seven machines are also believed to be going.

SMK owns three units on Newton Aycliffe Industrial Estate and it is understood that two are up for sale.

One worker, who did not want to be named, said: "There is a new rumour that we have got two weeks left before the factory closes down and that two important Japanese managers are coming over next week.

"There are a lot of people looking to get out because they just do not know where they stand. There is not a lot of feedback from the management. They are keeping their cards very close to their chests."

Nick Grewer of Sedgefield Borough Business Services said: "If any businesses in Sedgefield borough is experiencing, or does experience problems, we would like to hear from them to offer our expertise."

Any job losses at the factory would be another in a recent spate of blows for the area.

Lighting company Thorn announced this week it was shedding 19 jobs at its factory in Spennymoor. Motor lamp company Oshino Manufacturing UK says its factory in Newton Aycliffe may have to close at the end of the month with the loss of 45 jobs.

Nobody at SMK was available for comment last night.