Fifty jobs are to be axed at Willenhall’s biggest lockmaker due to the effects of the economic downturn on the construction industry, it was revealed today.

Lock giant Assa Abloy laid the blame for the latest wave of redundancies at its Portobello site on the need to reduce costs in the prevailing poor trading conditions.

The Swedish company, which took over some of the town’s world-famous brand names including Yale and Chubb, previously announced there would be 28 job losses by next month in die casting, polishing and plating operations at the School Street premises.

Although 50 more posts are to go, the firm today vowed it was committed to UK manufacturing. But union representatives said the cuts were a death knell for the town’s historic industry.

Unite branch secretary Terry Plimmer said the jobs would go by the end of the year.

Assa Abloy chief operating officer Neil Vann said: “I appreciate these are very difficult times for all concerned. As a management team we will be providing as much information as possible as plans develop and will continue to explore every opportunity to avoid compulsory redundancies through redeployment and voluntary requests within the UK Group.”

The company recently moved two of its regional sales operations to the Willenhall factory following a review of its activities with job cuts deemed to be the best way forward at the present time.