MORE than 75 per cent of staff who lost their jobs at a Paignton dessert factory have already found new work.

Bosses at Riviera Desserts estimate that three quarters of the 250 staff who have already been laid off have found employment.

Speaking to business leaders at a networking breakfast at South Devon College's Innovation Centre, Angela Butler, the company's managing director, said only about 12 people had chosen to make the move to the firm's other plant in Shropshire.

She said: "We haven't got any real figures but we estimate that three quarters of the staff have found new jobs.

"We've also received a lot of reference requests from potential employers which is a great sign that people are finding employment."

Mrs Butler said the best way for the 450 staff at the Paignton firm to overcome the bad news that they would lose their jobs had been for the company to provide them with support and help.

Riviera Desserts' parent company, convenience foods group Uniq, the makers of trifles and chocolate puddings for supermarkets at the Yalberton factory, announced the job losses in April last year.

At the time the news was branded a 'devastating blow' for the Bay.

The move came after a review of Uniq's loss-making desserts business, which also operates at Evercreech in Somerset and Minsterley, Shropshire.

Now Mrs Butler insists staff have moved on from the initial shock and have been helped along the way.

Addressing the business breakfast at the Innovation Centre, she said: "The difficult thing is to keep motivating your staff when they have been told they will lose their jobs.

"We needed to keep the business moving for 18 months until it was wound down completely.

"We have suppliers and customers who also needed reassurance that we were still up and running."

She added: "We worked with the staff to help them through this difficult curve.

"Communicating to them was key. It's about listening to staff and the suppliers.

"I'm pleased to say that the staff feel they have been treated fairly. They have been supported through this difficult time so they were able to continue to show their commitment to their work.

"Throughout the 18 months process we have maintained product quality."

Mrs Butler said the staff, including herself, had been put in contact with placement support consultancy firm Penna who had helped them with their CVs and interview techniques.

Many staff wishing to stay in the South West had also been helped with setting up their own businesses.

The 200 jobs remaining at the Paignton site are expected to go for good in September.