Schwan’s Consumer Brands is closing a production line at its plant in Leyland with the loss of 30 pizza bakery jobs.

Orders at the Leyland plant, which makes the Chicago Town pizza range, have dropped since Christmas while new business has evolved at its main production site in Germany. It is inviting some workers to transfer there, says the company.

A Schwan’s spokesman said: "We have recently secured new business on a range of products manufactured exclusively out of our German production facility, which has resulted in the creation of several temporary positions at our site in Germany. These opportunities have been made available to permanent and temporary Leyland staff."