Clothing firm Dewhirst announced in November it planned to move production from its Ashington plant to Morocco because of lower wages.

Dewhirst will use the plant as a distribution and administration centre staffed by about 100 office and warehouse workers.

But it is feared the number of redundancies will have a serious knock-on affect across the region as 2,000 jobs have already been lost in the area in the last three years.

It is impossible to compete with some of the exports that are coming into the country now Mark Wilson, GMB

Mark Wilson, organiser of the GMB union at Dewhirst, said 30 to 40 people had managed to find alternative work.

He told BBC Radio Newcastle: "I think the company have made every effort they possibly can [to help with re-employment] ...they have involved all sorts of agencies.

"There has been some limited success in finding those employees who are being made redundant some work.

"A lot of people have worked in Dewhirst for such a long time they are willing to try anything as long as they can get an income coming into the household."

Industry future

The company blamed lower foreign wage costs and pressure from Marks and Spencer - which it supplies - for moving production abroad.

Mr Wilson said it was a pattern being repeated across the country.

He said: "We have seen clothes manufacturing moving abroad systematically over the last five or 10 years.

"It is impossible to compete with some of the exports that are coming into the country now.

"The quality is getting better and better from places like Morocco and Tanzania.

"There is still some manufacturing in the high-quality end of the market in Great Britain and I think that is possibly one way for the textile industry to look in the future."