"Today's announcement comes as a great disappointment to our members at Thorp who believe firmly that the plant has a future and have been actively campaigning for new reprocessing contracts.

"The announcement, though not surprising, is sudden and it is fair to say that the way this was communicated to the workforce could have been better.

"The closure will see a reduction in the numbers employed on the plant once operations cease, with only a fraction of the existing staff remaining during the clean-out phase prior to decommissioning."

Despite the six-year lead time Prospect will be pressing the company for early and meaningful consultation on the potential redeployment opportunities for all staff affected by the decision.