Factory's future hangs in balance

But receivers are still desperate to find a buyer to save the factory and carry on the Silver Cross name.

Employees at the Otley Road factory were told on Friday last week of the new round of redundancies, leaving the company with only 38 members of staff.

The firm is still trading, despite being called in to receivership in September following financial irregularities of £3million at its parent firm The Design Company, in Manchester.

The 125-year-old pram manufacturer was forced to make 34 redundancies from its 125-strong workforce last month.

Now its future is bleak unless a buyer can be found.

A spokesman for receivers Deloitte and Touche, said: "The factory needs to be saved. We are working as hard as we can to find a buyer. There has been a loss of interest but we are as keen as anyone to save the jobs.

"The receivership is progressing and we had to make 53 people redundant on Friday at the Guiseley factory.

"We are still talking to interested parties. The factory is still open, but we are looking at staff all the time. We are talking to parties, acquiring assets and going forward.

"There was some interest in the business, however quite a lot has fallen by the way. No buyer has been found and it is still on the market.

"The property in Guiseley is lease-hold and if no buyer is found the business will cease to exist."

The parent firm, The Design Company, has already ceased manufacturing production.

Councillor Graham Latty (Con, Aireborough) said: "This is a further blow for an old established employer in Aireborough. We must all hope and pray a buyer is found to take on the struggling business and make something of it and bring back jobs which are currently being lost.

"All our sympathies must go out to the people being made redundant at the moment."

Silver Cross, which made record profits in August, has endured a turbulent few years, after going into to receivership in 1999, resulting in job losses.