A FACTORY which closed its doors last month, after plunging into administration for the third time in three years, appears to be doomed to permanent closure after the plant's machinery was put up for sale.

Although hopes remained high that a buyer could be found for frozen dessert maker Bonne Bouche - which has been rescued from administration twice before - last night, administrator KPMG said the search had been abandoned.

All 242 employees at the plant, on Hartlepool's Oakesway Industrial Estate, have now been made redundant. Ten were kept on temporarily to help the administrators, but KPMG confirmed they too have now been axed.

Yesterday, it was announced all of the factory's food manufacturing equipment is to be auctioned via the internet from April 16 to 19, with auctioneer SHM Smith Hodgkinson being appointed to conduct the sale.

A spokeswoman for KPMG last night told The Northern Echo: "The administrators worked hard to sell it as a going concern, but then it became apparent that were no viable options forthcoming.

"An agent has now been appointed to sell the plant's machinery, and the search for a buyer has been abandoned.

"Unfortunately, too, all of the workers at the plant have now been made redundant."

Bonne Bouche stopped trading on February 2 after hitting "significant" financial problems, which left it unable to pay staff wages for the previous nine days.

It was described at the time as "a bolt from the blue".

The development marked the third time in three years that the workers at the plant had been thrown into turmoil, after the site - then owned by Hibernia Foods - collapsed in December 2003 with debts of £17.5m.

The factory was rescued when receivers found a buyer in Freshbake Foods - but months later the new owners also hit financial trouble.

As part of a management buy-out in July 2004, Bonne Bouche Limited was formed to be the new owner of the business, safeguarding the jobs of about 250 of the 300 workers employed at the plant.

However, the future for the site is again bleak after the plant's machinery was put up for sale.

Last night, auctioneers SHM Hodgkinson said an array of spiral freezers, ovens, mixers, depositors and associated packaging equipment would be up for sale.

Director Ian Maycock said: "This auction is set to be the largest sale of food manufacturing equipment of the year, and presents an excellent opportunity to acquire premium quality, branded equipment."