First redundancies at Goodyear Wolverhampton plant

The first official redundancies have taken place at Goodyear's only UK manufacturing plant, in Wolverhampton.

More than 300 will lose jobs, but the plant will shut on a phased basis. Production is expected to continue until January 2017, the tyre firm has said.

Several jobs fairs and training events are being planned next year.

Goodyear said it had not been offered an alternative suggestion to closure.

Updates on this story and more from the Black Country

Wolverhampton City Council cabinet member for city economy John Reynolds, part of a taskforce set up to support workers, said: "We want to... make sure all the Goodyear group can come and find what's available to people and make sure that they can get jobs if they want them.

"That's the key thing I think to say to people. Jobs are available to people."

In October, the company said during the coming months its focus was to find "responsible and fair solutions for the employees affected" including the opportunity to apply for vacancies at its other locations.

John Iacono, who has been at Goodyear for 25 years, said: "It's just been a laugh all the way through, a really good laugh, a good bunch of lads.

"I tell you what, if there's any companies out there who want good, strong, loyal workers we're out here."