JOBSEEKERS have been given fresh hope as an employment agency is looking for 75 people to work at at the Black and Decker powertools plant in Spennymoor.

Prime Time Recruitment advertised the production operative posts in The Northern Echo jobs section on Wednesday.

The recruitment drive has been launched to meet a seasonal increase in orders at the plant, which employs about 1,100 full-time staff and a similar number of temporary workers on a supply and demand basis.

Prime Time Recruitment is responsible for such a large proportion of the factory's workers that it has an office on site.

Fears about the future of the plant were aired in January when six jobs were axed, and again last month when the firm's European president was rumoured to have told PM Tony Blair that the company would move out of the UK if it didn't join the Euro.

This came on top of more than 100 job losses last year as part of an ongoing restructuring programme, with 12 administrative posts also lost and some of its production moving to China.

A spokesman for Black and Decker said: "Prime Time Recruitment is looking for 75 production operatives for seasonal jobs to cover a production requirement."

For details of the jobs contact Shelley on (01388) 422630.