NICOLA Sturgeon has said she will do “everything possible” to support workers and their families hit by hundreds of possible job losses under a proposals to close a major seafood factory.

Young’s Seafood announced on Tuesday it would consult on plans to shut the Pinneys plant in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, putting 450 jobs at risk. The decision has been met with anger in the region, where the business is one of the largest private employers.

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The firm said production at Pinneys was “no longer financially sustainable” and it would begin a consultation with staff “as soon as practicable”.

Speaking about the situation the First Minister revealed yesterday that Scottish Enterprise Minister Paul Wheelhouse would talk to Young’s about their decision, which she said would be a “devastating blow” for the town.

“This is a deeply concerning situation and a very unwelcome announcement yesterday – one that come without any warning,” she said.

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“So the Scottish Government is determined to do everything we can to understand the reasons for the decision and offer any support that we can.”

She said the Pace initiative would be put in place to offer to support to those facing redundancy.

Making the announcement on Tuesday Young’s told workers that it planned to move its operations to its Grimsby plant and close the Annan site by the end of the year.

Some 200 new jobs will be created at the English site, and it came as the firm announced it had secured three new contracts with Marks and Spencer.

The new contracts will see Young’s Seafood supply Marks and Spencer with chilled and frozen coated fish, natural salmon and white fish from 2018 to 2023.

Union officials north of the Border accused the factory’s bosses of a “ruthless betrayal” over plans to close the plant.

Unite Scotland said it disputed the assertion that the plant was “no longer financially sustainable” and demanded the company open its books in the process of the consultation.

Regional officer Andy MacFarlane said: “The closure of Pinneys amounts to them shutting down the town. It is the ruthless betrayal of a local community that has served this company for generations.”

Joan McAlpine, the SNP MSP for South of Scotland, yesterday wrote to the factory’s bosses demanding to know the answers to 10 questions, including what options they were looking at to keep the factory open, why they had reached the conclusion the site was “no longer financially sustainable” and what severance packages staff and casual workers would be entitled to.

The factory is in Scottish Secretary David Mundell’s Westminster constituency, who admitted the closure plans were a bitter blow to the area.

Workers at the factory have also spoke about their outrage at the shock announcement.

Lee Clark, who has worked at Pinneys for six years, said there was “confusion and upset” in the factory.

“The way things are slowing down, we thought something was up behind the scenes but nobody was getting told nothing,” he said.

Andy Lupton said: “It’s such a thriving business for the community, to lose 450 jobs is quite devastating. I’ve been here 18 years and I’ve never known morale so low.”

Graham Gilmour, from Dumfries, has worked at Pinneys for three years. He said there was a low mood in the factory following the announcement. “It’s really going to hit Annan. There’s a lot of angry workers. It’s a sad day.” Since the announcement, an online petition demanding the factory is saved has gathered more than 1800 signatures in less than 24 hours.

Responding to the news on Tuesday, Wheelhouse said: “I will look to engage with management at Young’s to better understand the background to this unwelcome decision, which has come without any warning, and to see if any action can be taken to prevent job losses.”