MORRISON has denied union claims that it intends to close its Aylesford depot with the loss of 1,000 jobs.

The union, the GMB, accused the supermarket chain, which bought Safeway, of working on secret plans to shut the former Safeway distribution depot at Beddow Way, where many Medway people are employed, and a sister depot in Cheshire.

Jude Brimble, GMB national officer, said: "We call on Morrison either to deny these secret plans exist or come clean and tell our 2,000 members who work for the company what it has planned for them."

A Morrison spokesman confirmed that a review of its distribution network was underway but no final decision had been made.

He said: "Speculation about the future shape of our distribution network is to be expected, given that we are coming to the end of the Safeway store conversion process and a number of stores have now been sold."