Another Melton employer is set to cut jobs as it proposes the closure of one of its production lines

A historic local employer is consulting employees about cutting some of it's production in the town with an estimated potential loss of around 70 jobs.

Mars Petcare UK are proposing to close their canning production line at the Melton factory in Mill Street in another blow to Melton's history and economic scene.

Mars Petcare began as Chappie Ltd in 1951 and was employing around 2,000 people at it's peak. The firm changed its name to Petfoods in 1957 and Pedigree Petfoods in 1972 and then rebranded again to Masterfoods in 2002. It's known now days as Mars Petcare.

A consultation period is underway with employees at Melton's Mars factory about the proposed cuts. Photo: NEMM

While numbers have not been confirmed it's understood that up to 70 people are at risk of losing their jobs at the Melton site and a consultation process is underway with affected staff.

A Mars spokesperson told NEMM: "“We regularly review and adapt our operations to ensure an efficient network and resilient supply chain.  After careful consideration, we have proposed to close our can production at the factory in Melton due to a long-term decline in canned pet food demand and are in a consultation process with our Associates. 

We remain committed to the Melton community, and the proposal does not impact the other operations at the site. We will explore opportunities to expand production capability in the future in line with category demand.”