WORKERS at a rural cement firm awaiting the results of a production review at their site, are hoping a surge of voluntary redundancies can help save their jobs from the axe.

Staff at Blue Circle in Weardale were expecting the worst after management announced plans for a three-month "thorough review of production" at the site earlier this year.

But with the Eastgate plant remaining one of the group's top producers, workers are growing more hopeful for their future by the day.

It is now believed that up to 30 staff have inquired about taking voluntary redundancy, and management are expected to retain two kiln production for the forseeable future.

Local councillor John Shuttleworth said the indications pointed toward production remaining at its current level.

"The workers' mood remains positive, and if they have received a number of offers from staff to take voluntarey redundancies I only it will mean that there will be no compulsory redundancies at the site," he said.

"What the workers are asking for now is a statement from the management to confirm exactly what the outcome of the production review has been."

The 180 employees were told to expect a decision by the end of October, and any redundancies would be a blow to the fragile local economy.

Blue Circle recently said that "a reduction in capacity" remained an option of its review, whose results were still being assessed by management.

A spokesmand said: "This was an important review and as such we need to ensure that it is fully assessed before any decisions are taken," he said. "Once that is done, the staff at Weardale will be the first to hear its outcome."

The company revealed it was seeking 350 redundancies nationwide over the next two years, but there was no-one available to comment on the number of staff taking voluntary redundancies at Weardale.