The Unipork factory in Enniskillen looks set to close. It is believed that an impending announcement from the Industrial Development Board (IDB) will effectively spell the end of the factory, which has been the subject of much speculation for several months.

The factory’s owners, the Pigs Marketing Board, employed a firm of consultants, Coopers Lybrand Deloitte, to prepare a five-year business report on its three factories in Northern Ireland at Newry, Cookstown and Enniskillen, with the hope of receiving financial backing from IDB. However, it is thought that the report does not look favourably on the Enniskillen factory.

The IDB is currently considering the report and an announcement is due within the next couple of weeks.

This week, a spokesman for the IDB refused to comment on the issue or to be drawn on when an announcement would be made.

A spokesman from the PMB’s public relations company also claimed that no decision had been taken yet.