CREATED by an American and manufactured in the North-East, Formica was hailed as the work surface of the future in the 1950s.

During the next 30 years it gained a reputation for toughness and durability second to none.

But times have changed and the long-lasting laminate is no longer in as much demand. The preferred choice now, it seems, is a real wood surface.

Last night, Formica's American parent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection - prompting many of its North-East workers to ask what the future held.

The company still has sales of more than £500m a year, but it has not made a profit for some time, a situation exacerbated by the downturn in the US economy in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

The American company announced it was seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy - a method of staving off its creditors while it attempts to rebuild.

But, according to bosses, the 428 staff who work at its manufacturing sites in North Shields, Tyneside, and Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, will be unaffected.

Chris Lloyd, managing director of Formica Limited, in the UK, said: "Chapter 11 is a commonly-used business tool in the US that provides companies with breathing room to work out their financial issues.

"This voluntary action by the Formica Corporation applies only to the US operation and does not impact on any of the other subsidiaries globally.

"The UK business is unaffected by this action and its trading position with customers, suppliers and distributors remains unaltered."

If the court approves the bankruptcy petition, Formica will be able to delay paying interest on its loans. Its biggest shareholder, Credit Suisse First Boston, has said it hopes to relaunch the business.

Formica was created by American engineers Herbert Faber and Daniel O'Conor in 1910 as an electrical insulator, but by the 1930s it was beginning to appear in furniture.

It was introduced to the British market in 1947 and soon became a firm favourite in kitchens up and down the country, bringing a blaze of colour into the drab, post-war world