Contractors at fire-hit propeller firm Dowty let go

A blaze destroyed most of the factory at Staverton earlier this month

Eleven contractors at a propeller firm near Gloucester have been let go by the company following a catastrophic blaze earlier this month.

The Dowty Propellers factory in Staverton was almost completely destroyed in a fire on 5 January.

A spokeswoman for parent company GE Aviation said the workers were given one-week's notice plus two days pay.

She added that about two-thirds of the 200-strong workforce will be redeployed by the end of the week.

Over 100 engineers and support staff have already been re-housed at the Bishops Cleeve site, near Cheltenham.

GE Aviation's Jennifer Villarreal said some staff will work from portable buildings and other buildings at the Staverton site by Friday.

Equipment and machinery from the fire-hit factory will be cleaned and decontaminated to see what can be salvaged.

Ms Villarreal said the company was still working with fire officials on an investigation to determine the cause of the blaze.