The announcement that the American owners of Bradford car parts manufacturer Federal Mogul are to close the factory with the loss of 380 jobs is a bitter blow for the city.

This factory has been a major part of the district's engineering history for many years, formerly being the Hepworth and Grandage plant which at its height employed 4,000 people. It is a part of that rich industrial heritage which will disappear for good.

There has obviously been a steady decline in the industry since the 1960s when thousands walked through the factory gates every morning, but nevertheless the closure announcement adds to the fact that Bradford's manufacturing industry, following recent closures in the carpet world, is in a downward spiral.

It is a shame that the rescue package drawn up to save the factory could not be made to work, despite the best efforts of all those involved, including the Department of Trade and Industry.

But, while we don't know the full details of the situation, simply pouring public money into a company that cannot compete in a very cut-throat international market could also have been a potentially foolhardy course of action.

The end of Federal Mogul in Bradford is a symptom of a problem that for some time has been causing great concern across the country.

Manufacturing has been in decline for some time now and it is vital that a very important question is now answered: Just what forms of employment are going to replace the traditional industries which have provided work for generations of Bradfordians but which are now slowly dying off?