WORKERS leaving a North-East textile factory for the final time last night said the loss of 350 jobs had left many of them bitter.

Workers at Sara Lee Courtaulds, in Bishop Auckland, accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of letting them down.

They also hit out at Marks & Spencer, saying it should also shoulder some of the responsibility for sending them to the dole queue.

The clothing manufacturer announced its closure in May, blaming its decision on its failure to secure a new contract to make clothes for Marks & Spencer's designer Autograph range. It is feared that the work has been taken abroad.

A spokesperson for Marks and Spencer said: "As a company, Sara Lee Courtaulds must make the commercial decisions it feels appropriate for the future of its business.

"We are committed to strong, strategic relationships with our key suppliers in order to deliver to our customers good quality clothing at outstanding value and available where and when our customers want to buy."

Yesterday, as staff filed out of the redundant factory, one woman, who did not wish to be named, called for a protectionist tax on imported goods to stop companies sending work abroad.

She said: "There is no way that the work should have been sent abroad. It is getting to the stage if you want a job in this industry you will have to move to China or Morocco because they pay slave labour over there.

"The Government should put tax on importing goods then it would cost too much to send work abroad. Effectively Tony Blair has put us on the dole queue."

Some of the workers tied cardboard posters to the gates criticising Tony Blair and encouraging people to "buy British".

Maurice Catchpole, 54, has worked at the factory for 13 years. He said that the workforce felt that it had been stabbed in the back and were disgusted that the Government had done nothing to intervene.

He said: "A lot of people have put their hearts and souls into trying to save these jobs and we feel we have been let down."

Another worker, who did not wish to be named, said that they had agreed to work for £4.20 an hour to try and cut costs to save jobs but it had made no difference.

The closure comes as another blow to the region which is still reeling from job losses at Black and Decker and Thorn Lighting in Spennymoor; J Barbour and Sons, in Crook; Ohmega Electronics and Warner Electric, both Bishop Auckland; Lafarge UK's cement works in Eastgate; Weardale Steel, Wolsingham; and Sloman Engineering, Blenheim Furniture, TKA Tallent Chassis, all in Newton Aycliffe.