NORTHERN Foods last night said 300 North Yorkshire factory jobs were safe as it made 1,000 workers redundant elsewhere.

A spokesman for the group said its top-performing frozen foods factory in Leeming Bar was safe from closure.

Yesterday, Northern Foods said it would close two pastry factories in London Road, Carlisle, and in Evesham, Worcestershire, next year.

The proposed move follows the loss of 30 senior management jobs and is expected to generate annual savings of £10m.

A spokesman said: "The Dalepak site in Leeming Bar performed well this year and workers will not be affected there.

"There has been ongoing investment there and there will continue to be."

Closing the two factories and other cost-cutting measures in the present financial year would lead to an exceptional charge of £45m, Northern Foods said.

Food manufacturers have been forced to overhaul their production bases to protect margins because of a supermarket price war.

Last week, Richmond Foods announced that the proposed closure of its ice cream factory at Ivybridge, near Plymouth, could lead to up to 175 jobs being lost.

In a trading update yesterday, Northern said underlying sales rose by 5.5 per cent in the 11 weeks to September 18 and trading had remained in line with expectations.