BOSSES at Southampton's Ford plant have assured thousands of workers and their families that their big birthday party will go on.

Managers at the Swaythling Transit factory had their plans for tomorrow's giant celebrations thrown into chaos when the site for the party was targeted by vandals.

However, last night their message to the 1,603 workforce and their families was that the show would go on. The huge party will now take place at another venue not far from the original Stoneham Lane playing fields site.

Ford plant spokesman Geoff Glover told the Daily Echo that everything was in place to ensure the 4,000 guests had a fantastic time to mark the 100th anniversary of the Ford Motor Company and the 50th birthday of the Southampton plant.

"It should be a great day and I know that all of the workforce are looking forward to it,'' said Geoff, who last night picked up an award for Ford's work with the local community at the Hampshire Business Awards, backed by the Southern Daily Echo.

Plans for the huge party, which will include live bands and children's entertainment, for workers and families had been thrown into chaos when the site at playing fields at Stoneham Lane were targeted by vandals.

As a result the company pulled out of using the fields used by British Transport Commission Football Club, which blamed travellers camped nearby for the vandalism.

Organisers of the event launched a successful search for a new venue to make sure the bash went ahead and today preparations are well under way.

The party in Southampton will be part of worldwide celebrations for the company which include a massive five-day event at the car giant's Henry Ford II Centre offices in Michigan. The company's links with Southampton stretch back more than the 50 years of the Swaythling Transit factory, which employs 1603 people.

It established its first operations in Britain in the city when company founder Henry Ford signed up the first dealership to sell Ford with Southampton's Percy Hendy back in November 1910. Ford has poured more than £340m into reshaping the Transit's spiritual home in the city.