A MEAT processing factory in Wirral will close and cost 300 workers their jobs.

The Tulip factory's owners will shut the Bromborough site despite the efforts of the workers' union and local MPs.

Union Unite said it had presented alternatives to the company but the management believed closure was the only realistic option.

Bosses had consulted with workers to look at other options after announcing the redundancies in January.

Management were also summoned to Parliament by MPs who had hoped to reverse their decision.

Wirral South MP Ben Chapman said he was disappointed with the decision.

He said: "Whilst it was always going to be difficult to save all 300 jobs under threat, I am highly disappointed to hear that the factory will be closing. We fought as hard as we could to find a way of keeping the Bromborough site open, but Tulip have confirmed that there is no viable alternative to closure."

Unite's Regional Industrial Organiser Franny Joyce said: "We have been working hard and had presented an alternative proposal, but unfortunately Tulip have decided that proceeding with the closure is the only realistic course of action."

Tulip managing director North East, Peter Judge said previously that the company had looked at other options but could find no viable alternative to closing the factory.