A lack of orders is one factor contributing to the lay-off of staff at a Wharfedale paper factory.

Around half of Garnett's workforce in Otley has been laid off due to circumstances the paper company says are "beyond its control".

Up to 40 employees are believed to have been told to stay at home from Monday for at least one week - and up to three months.

Garnett's managing director Cliff Barry said the lay-off is par for the course for the industry, and the redundancies merely the latest in a previously announced programme.

He said: "Unfortunately in the paper industry sometimes you take 'downtime' like we're doing now, that happens.

"Our company has taken down-time in the past as have many other companies in our industry.

"We have to take those decisions that best protect the long term interests of the company and its employees.

"A lack of orders is part of the reason for it and part of it is also about efficiency in the way we run the business.

"The programme we have implemented is a rolling process with each position being dealt with as it arises. Unfortunately the law requires us to offer redundancy to any person where there is a fundamental change in their job duties which compounds the situation."