A SUPERMARKET giant has admitted its vegetable prep site near Astley is scheduled to close with the loss of 325 jobs.

Morrisons bought the former Simply Fresh site, in Chaddock Lane, Mosley Common, in 2010.

But today it announced the site was "no longer fit for purpose" and confirmed a consultation was set to take place over the futures of staff.

Supermarket bosses say the location, which was remodelled after a devastating fire in 2006, would require a significant investment to address infrastructure issues.

Maz Ahmed, operations director of Morrisons Manufacturing said: “I recognise that this will be very difficult for those colleagues directly involved and we have taken this decision with deep regret.

"The high-care vegetable preparation market is increasingly trend-led, fast moving, technically complex and requires the ability to constantly deliver innovation and new techniques which the...site is unfortunately no longer well suited to.

“We will do everything we can to help the Morrisons colleagues who are affected by this proposed closure and are now entering a period of consultation.”

Third party food prep operators would step in to offer the same service at improved facilities in future, according to the company.