A TASK force set up to ease the impact of crippling job cuts on a dales economy has revealed that an announcement on its findings is imminent.

Although the task force is not giving details of the announcement, the news has been described as "positive" by those within the group.

It will be the first time the task force has given its findings since GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced it was to axe 400 jobs at its Barnard Castle plant in June.

The pharmaceutical firm is the second largest drug company in the world and the largest employer in Teesdale, County Durham, with 1,500 workers at its Harmire Road plant.

The news of the job cuts came as a severe blow to both the local community and economy, which had already been hit hard by the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Bishop Auckland MP Derek Foster called for the task force to be set up to discuss the future of the dale's economy, and look at ways of encouraging businesses back.

The external task force was set up alongside an internal consultation group made up of employees at the plant, to look at ways of retraining staff and offering support to workers facing redundancy.

So far, more than 100 employees at the plant have volunteered for redundancy, with the job cuts spread over three years.

But a spokesman for GSK's Barnard Castle plant warned that forced redundancies would be inevitable.

He said: "Internal and external discussions are on-going, and although there have been voluntary redundancies, there will, no doubt, be compulsory redundancies.