BUS workers who found out that their company was being sold by reading the Lancashire Telegraph today spoke of their shock at the move.

The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) also came out against the sale of Blackburn Transport to Blazefield Holdings, a Yorkshire-based arm of French company Transdev.

About 130 people work the company, based in Intack, and were told of the news yesterday.

The sale, that will see the firm fall into private hands for the first time in its 125-year history, has already got the backing of the three main parties on Blackburn with Darwen Council, the current owners.

Council chiefs said the sale was not to generate money but to secure the long-term future of the company, which has been making a loss. One worker protested about discovering the sale in the Lancashire Telegraph. Another added: "At the moment everyone is surprised."

Jim Casey, TGWU rep at Blackburn Transport, said workers were disappointed at the way they had found out. We feel bitterly let down by the council.

"The asset belongs to the people of the borough, our profit was the social side of it."

He said the company should be run for the person and not the pound.

Although the deal is not likely to include assurances on redundancies all jobs will have protection.

Bosses also stressed that key routes would be protected under the agreement.

No assurances are likely to be given on fares but the council said that Blazefield's track record in Burnley and Pendle, where it owns Lancashire United, was that fares have been lower than in Blackburn.

The contract, to be signed later this year, will see a multi-million investment in new buses along with a commitment by Blazefield to replace the company's 124-bus fleet.