Workers have been left devastated after an historic plastic components manufacturers announced it was to be wound down, putting nearly 400 jobs at risk.

Birkby’s Plastics, a major automotive injection moulding company employing 371 people at a 24-acre site in Liversedge, has been put into administration after several years of losses, following an unsuccessful search for a buyer.

Workers at the site yesterday said they had been informed the manufacturer had been struggling for finance following a fall in car production since the country had found itself in such tough economic times.

One worker, who did not want to be identified, said workers at the factory were apprehensive about having to find other jobs in the economic climate.

He said: “Everybody’s gutted and terrified they are having to put themselves out to look for more work at this time when we are in the middle of an economic winter.

“We were told originally they were looking for extra finance at this moment in time because they have been struggling with the volumes they have been doing for the big car companies – they have been half of what they were originally quoted for because times have been so difficult since the crisis.

“I’m laying the blame on the bankers or the Government for failing to support industry.”

Established in 1867, Birkby’s designs, moulds and assembles plastic products for the automotive and specialist engineering industries, including mud flaps, glovebox assemblies, accelerator pedals and seat back covers.

Customers include Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Honda and Toyota but a fall in car production has contributed to the firm's problems.

Another worker, who had been at the company for 11 years and did not want to be identified, said: “I just feel totally let down. They tell you what they want to tell you rather than give you the full picture. There’s people in there crying because they have lost their jobs, people with families, and they have just been let down by this management.

“In my opinion if you’re a captain of a ship you go down with the ship, but what they seem to have done is get all the best lifeboats and they have left everybody on the ship floor. We came in and they said ‘that’s it’.

“I feel let down because they have bailed out, they are not actually going to give me any remuneration, I’ve got to get it from the Government.”

Hunter Kelly and Charles King of Ernst & Young in Leeds have been appointed joint administrators of the company.

Mr Kelly said: “We have undertaken an extensive sales process to identify a purchaser since the beginning of the year. Some interest was expressed, but none resulted in an acceptable offer for the business and assets.

“The company has been operating at a loss for a few years, a position it could no longer maintain. Birkby’s will continue to supply major customers, while we identify alternative suppliers. We are grateful to the employees, suppliers and clients for their continued support.”

In the year to April 2, 2011, Birkby's reportedly suffered a pre-tax loss of £875,000 on a £31 million turnover and in 2010 the loss was £816,000 on £23.6m of sales.

Ernst & Young confirmed that the company would be wound down with the loss of all the jobs at the company but could not say what the timescale would be.

Tim Roache, of the GMB union, said: “This is very bad news. West Yorkshire cannot afford to lose almost 400 manufacturing jobs. GMB will seek urgent talks with the administrators to see what options there are to save these jobs.”