A JOBS centre boss says that although scores of jobs had been lost with the closure of a Kent produce company she is confident most of the workforce could be found other posts.

MacLeod McCombe operated from a large unit at Castle Road on the Eurolink industrial estate at Sittingbourne and employed around 200 people.

Carol Dorey, manager of Sittingbourne Job Centre, stressed: "The market is pretty buoyant at the moment. We are confident we can assist them. We are in a very good position to be able to help them."

The company imported fresh fruit and vegetables and supplied them to supermarkets. It had been operating in Sittingbourne for three years, but traded for 38 years. It once had a turnover of more than £72million. The closure came after two years of difficult market conditions.