There were fresh fears for the future of Cadbury in the West Midlands today after new owners Kraft were accused of breaking a promise to keep a factory open in Bristol.

Union officials said today the Somerdale plant closure was going ahead with the loss of up to 400 jobs.

Unite said it believed auditors were planning to announce moves to mothball the plant in the next few days, dashing workers’ hopes that their jobs could be saved.

The Somerdale plant had been lined up for closure in the spring by the previous Cadbury management, but, shortly after launching its takeover bid in September, Kraft suggested it hoped to keep the plant open.

Workers then gave enthusiastic backing to a Kraft takeover, in the hope of keeping their jobs, while other Cadbury workers including those at Bournville in Birmingham opposed the deal.

Only last week the US firm said it would keep open the Somerdale plant instead of switching production of chocolates to Poland.

Today a Unite official said: “It looks like the first promise to be broken by Kraft.

“We are calling on the government to intervene.”

No one was available for comment from Kraft today.