UP to 30 jobs could be created in Shap after a sausage factory was bought out.

Sheffield-based sausage-makers J. and J. Tranfield Limited have bought the former KingsCourt Foods Limited, on Main Street, which employs more than 200 staff.

Now the purchase is complete, Tranfield intends to generate more work at the site.

Tranfield director Alistair MacDonald said: "We are already spending some capital to increase capacity which could generate between ten and 30 jobs.

"At the moment, they are working five days a week, therefore there is some expansion possible from weekend shifts."

He said one of the options the company was considering was producing frozen bangers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Parish council chairman Jean Jackson said: "It's excellent news for the village!

"We have got a very good employment rate here in Shap but any jobs would be super."

Resident Jean Scott-Smith welcomed the news and said school-leavers might benefit from the extra jobs.

Tranfield's Yorkshire base produces chilled sausages, including innovative flavours such as red wine sausages, bacon and garlic sausages and the award-winning red Thai and lemongrass sausages.

The company also entered the Guinness Book of Records in 2000, when they produced the world's longest sausage - an incredible 35.75 miles.

Further in the future, Mr MacDonald said more expansion is possible but identified a potential problem as the site being "land locked".

That meant some of the farmers' fields that ring the site would have to be purchased to make room for the company to grow.

He said the purchase was good news for staff: "Employees should have a more secure future because we have put millions of pounds into the site."

He added that it was also good news for the people of Shap as there would be more employment opportunities.

For more information on the vacancies call 01931-716561.