CIGARETTE workers at a North-East cigarette factory have been given a glimmer of hope in their fight to save jobs.

It had been feared that tough new European anti-smoking laws would pose a threat to jobs at the Rothmans plant in Darlington, which employs some 600 people, as early as next year.

A new Brussels directive due to come into force in 2005, will see a ban on the production of cigarettes with tar levels above 10mg within the European Union, even if they are destined for export.

This is expected to lead to production being shifted overseas, with hundreds of jobs lost at the County Durham plant.

But yesterday brought good news for tobacco workers worried about another element of the same legislation - introducing a ban on the use of so-called "descriptors" such as "low tar" and "light".

It had been feared that the labels - seen by Rothmans as an important selling point and part of their brand identity - would be banned on packs made in the EU and set for export, by September 2003, bringing production cuts and job losses as early as next year.

But clarification of the legislation by European Union official Jules Maaten, who is guiding the directive through the European Parliament, has given the workers grounds for hope. He said: "Article Seven on the use of misleading descriptors ma-kes no direct or indirect mention that it affects export."

Unions at the Darlington plant have welcomed the clarification, but warned that it was still up to the British Government to give its own interpretation of the legislation.