ANOTHER 280 jobs are to go from the North-East's beleaguered engineering sector after it was announced an award-winning company is to close.

Ingersoll Dresser Pumps, which makes and designs pumps for the engineering industry, is to close before Christmas.

Representatives of the 284 men who will lose their jobs when the Gateshead factory closes said the announcement had come out of the blue. Last week, American company Flowserve took over Ingersoll, which was established in the 1930s and is a previous winner of the Queen's Award For Export.

The company says over-capacity in the market and the strength of the pound is to blame for the decision.

Ingersoll's human resources manager Phil McMenemy said: "There was a degree of expectation that the new company was going to make some plans for rationalisation, but the situation in Gateshead came as a shock because we have got such a good record for quality, performance and the people we have here.There was a degree of expectation that we would survive."

Trade unions promised they would meet the new management next week to try to change their mind.

Bill Green, regional officer with the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union, said: "We will be meeting with the company on Monday to challenge the rationale.

"The members are gutted at the way they have been treated and it is our intention to fight to retain jobs.