WHILE some staff remained at Rothmans' Darlington factory until production ceases today, more than 300 have already left, many of whom have found new jobs.

The company has been working closely with Job Centre Plus and Darlington College of Technology to help employees make the transition into new jobs, re-training, self employment or retirement.

Tom Roberts, from British American Tobacco (BAT), which owns the factory, said 96 staff have been transferred to other jobs in the company.

Among them is Cecil Sugden, 45, from Darlington, who has worked for Rothmans for 27 years as an administrator. He transferred to the company's Southampton plant five months ago on an 18-month contract.

He makes the 600-mile round trip back to Darlington to see his wife every fortnight.

He said: "I know some people with children who have found it difficult, but a lot of us seem to be getting on with it.

"Some people do make the trip back to Darlington every weekend, but I imagine that would be a bit wearing.

"They like the job and Southampton is a lovely part of the world to live in. There might be the option to transfer down here permanently, which is something I would consider, and others are in the same mind.

"I started working at the Darlington factory more or less when it opened and I have seen it finish too. It is very sad. It was a great shock to me when we found out."

For 24-year-old Graeme Jamieson, the news Rothmans was to close came just as he had bought a house.

Mr Jamieson, of Hurworth, near Darlington, had worked at the factory for six years as an engineer when he left in April to take up a job on a 12-month contract at GlaxoSmithKline.

He said Rothmans was a great employer that provided him with opportunities to study for qualifications, including a degree, and he is now completing a masters course.

He said: "I was very, very shocked when we were told the factory was closing, but you have to be positive and look to the future.

"BAT set up a next-move centre at work to help people get jobs, go through pensions with them, help them with CVs and ways of using their redundancy money.

"So, although it was a big shock for everybody, they tried their best to make it have as little impact as possible.

"For me it has worked out quite well, I have got another good job. I am on a 12-month contract, but I am hoping that it will become permanent if I can impress them, so I am trying to be positive and feel up-beat really."

Dave Lannon, 40, had worked at Rothmans for 21 years when redundancy loomed.

He said he was grateful for the reputation Rothmans had with prospective employers, and believed that has helped former employees such as him get jobs.

He swapped cigarettes for pastries in Februray when he started work at Greggs' factory in Longbenton, Newcastle, as operations manager.

He had been in management at Rothmans and is enjoying the challenges of a new company and new people in a different area.

The father-of-one said: "Rothmans had offered me jobs in Serbia and Southampton, which I considered, but I had to put my family first. My son is 13, at a good school, he plays football for Durham County and it was too much to pull him away from all that.

"I was devastated when we found out Rothmans was closing. It was a kind of loss because it was like an institution.

"So I found this job at Greggs, which is a good employer, which is expanding all the time and they matched my salary."