THE planned closure of a Birkenhead oil plant, with the loss of 70 jobs, has been described by a local MP as a perfect example of the 'north-south divide'.

Frank Field MP was commenting on the closure of the Mobil Oil plant and told the Globe:: "The facilities are being moved to Essex. Who says there is no such thing as the north-south divide?

"For more than 100 years the company has been providing wages for people to raise children and its closure is a mega-blow."

ExxonMobil have announced that it will shed 70 jobs from the plant as it moves it lubricant blending business to Purfleet in Essex.

The Mobil plant is on a 25-acre site at the Birkenhead Docks, where lubricating and hydraulic oils have been produced since 1906. It produces around 120 million litres a year which are exported to more than 50 countries.

A company spokesman told the Globe: "The closure of the Birkenhead blending facilities affects around 70 of the current 76 employees. Efforts will be made to redeploy staff where possible.

"Production of wax emulsions at Birkenhead continues, subject to the outcome of a further study. This accounts for the positions in Birkenhead which are not affected."

Leif Dahlstrand, operations manager of ExxonMobil's lubricants business, says: "We recognise that these changes will be difficult for those directly affected, particularly in Birkenhead.

Mr Field says: "Manufacturing in Wirral really is taking a battering."