AEROSPACE firm Bellhouse Hartwell will not be sold to the 170-strong workforce, it was confirmed today.

Management and staff had offered nearly £4.5 million to buy the Leigh Road, Westhoughton, factory, which has been under threat of closure since March.

Their bid was dismissed by Midlands-based parent company Hampson Industries after just two days, despite trade union calls for talks to continue.

And today, after being asked whether the offer would be reconsidered, Chief Executive Kim Ward said: "We have given our verdict. We said no."

Workers had hoped Hampson's directors and Mr Ward would look again at their offer.

The workforce says Bellhouse Hartwell's order book for the next 12 months is believed to be worth £10 million and if the factory closes it could cost the local economy £5.5 million a year.

Simon Dootson, who made the offer on the workers' behalf, said: "We believe that Hampson Industries dismissed the offer without any discussion with the stakeholders.

"Hampson claims to have rejected the bid on the basis that there was no business plan or commitment to funding but we had confirmed that we had both."

Trade union leaders now plan to lobby directors and shareholders about their bid with the hope of securing a last-ditch deal.

They say Hampson's has not told them why the offer was rejected or how it could be made more acceptable.

Ron Ralph, regional organiser of Amicus MSF, said: "I will be taking this to the highest levels with the trade unions, Hampson Industries and the customers until we are satisfied the offer has been given the consideration it deserves."

The Westhoughton factory, which recently won an award for business excellence, makes and repairs aircraft parts for customers such as British Aerospace.

Hampson Industries plans to transfer work to a sister factory in Wigan which has just announced 75 planned redundancies.

Talks have taken place between Bolton Council and Bellhouse Hartwell managers about the Westhoughton factory's future, council leader Bob Howarth said today.

He said he was "very concerned" about the possible loss of 170 skilled jobs and said he had asked to be kept up to date with the latest developments.