ENHAM's wax products factory Enham Candles is to discontinue production after more than two decades, but managers have assured disabled employees that there will be no job losses.

The decision comes in response to increasingly difficult market conditions, recent changes in government funding for disabled people and a subsequent management review of the work undertaken at Enham Industries.

And bosses say the move will allow their packaging and assembly operation to expand.

But there has been discontent among some employees on the site who are concerned for the future of the charity.

An Enham spokeswoman said: "Streamlining the production work at Enham will enable the charity to move forward in its work on a much sounder financial basis."

But an Enham employee, who did not wish to be named, said: "Factories have been systematically closed down either directly or by selling off to a buyer who then makes existing staff redundant.

"Closures have included the furniture factory, garden centre, electro mechanical department, engineering and now the candle factory, which only recently spent thousands on new, up-to-date machinery. This leaves the nursery and packing department as the only employment for many in the village.

"Valuable assets including large plots of land have been sold off which have been part of Enham for decades.

"I worry about the disabled employees many of whom have learning difficulties and are unable to speak up for themselves."

Local people and supporters of Enham's work will be sad to learn that after 21 years, candle production on the site will cease. Many will remember the factory's success in gaining an entry in the Guinness Book of Records in 1989 for the construction of the world's largest candle. At 101ft 8ins, it still holds the record today.

Enham say the move comes partly because of changes in government funding for supported employment, which has led to the closure of a number of supported businesses. They say social change now reinforces the rights of disabled people to live and work in the community alongside non-disabled people.

And funding now encourages disability organisations to offer fewer supported employment places in their own factories and to move towards helping disabled people to gain employment in the wider workplace.

Only 76 of the 244 disabled people on the Government's Workstep scheme now work at Enham. The remaining 168 work off site in business and industry.

But some disabled people are unable to progress to full employment and Enham say they are committed to providing continued employment for disabled staff and that the closure of candle production facilities will result in a welcome increase in staffing levels for Enham Packaging and Assembly Services (EPAS).

EPAS business development manager Graham Harris is confident that this will attract new customers.

He said: "We aim to deliver service excellence and will always try to help whenever we can, especially if a customer has an urgent last-minute crisis."