BURNLEY engineering jobs were under threat today after a long standing firm went into administration.

J F Turkington Engineers Ltd is in the hands of Manchester-based accountants BDO Stoy Hayward.

Dermot Power and Matthew Dunham from the firm were appointed as joint administrators on February 16.

BDO Stoy was unable to comment on the reasons for its appointment or exactly how many jobs were under threat, but said staff at the firm's Billington Road base would be affected.

J F Turkington Engineers, is part of Turkington Industries, which was established 30 years ago by John Turkington.

Turkington Industries has operated from bases in Widow Hill Road on the Heasandford Trading Estate, and Station Road, Padiham.

According to Turkington Industries' website it is based on the Billington Road Industrial Estate, Billington Road, and 135 people were employed at its main base.

A For Let' sign has been put up outside the Billington Road building.

The move is a new blow to the borough's manufacturing industry which has seen thousands of jobs lost in recent years with the closure of closure of companies such Lucas Aerospace; the Michelin tyre factory; engineering firm, Viktor Achter; and the collapse of Granville Technology, which owned Time Computers.

Civic leaders have vowed to do all they can to help workers affected.

Burnley MP Kitty Ussher, who last week said firms were struggling to fill skilled manufacturing jobs said she had not been contacted about the firm.

She said: "I will now be working with the workers and make sure they get help in their search if they need new jobs.

"My number one priority is to secure jobs in Burnley and Padiham.

"I will be happy to work with anybody who thinks something can be done."

Council leader, Councillor Gordon Birtwistle added: "It is another example of an engineering company outside of the aerospace agency hitting trouble.

In June 2005 Stuart Ashman, chief executive officer of Turkington Industries, said he wanted to increase the company's turnover from £15million in 2003 to £150million by 2010.

The statement came after Turkington Industries had completed the acquisition of APV Baker USA in 2004.

Yesterday when contacted by the Lancashire Telegraph the company said Mr Ashman "no longer comes in".

Terry Burns of the union Amicus said he had not been informed of the decision to appoint BDO Stoy earlier this month.

He added: "With all the loss of previous manufacturing jobs in the town any new jobs losses in Burnley is hard.

"If jobs are lost they have to be replaced with skilled jobs."