Workers at Coventry's Massey Ferguson plant were still reeling today after the announcement that they are to become the latest firm in the city to suffer massive job losses.

The news continues a worrying trend of redundancies within some of the city's best known companies which has seen Alvis, Courtaulds and Delphi Automotive Systems all make large scale cut-backs.

The latest job losses, expected to be around 400 of the current 2,500-strong workforce, were announced by Agco who have owned Banner Lane-based Massey's since 1994. The American owners are blaming the cuts on a worldwide fall in demand for tractors and agricultural equipment.

Despite the fact that Agco are expecting a further decline in sales, vice-president of corporate relations for the US company Judith Czelusniak has stressed that they still have faith in the product.

She said:

"We are absolutely committed to the Massey Ferguson brand.

"It is never a good day when these kind of announcements have to be made. Everybody feels it, not least the workers. We know there will be a decline in business, it is the same for our competitors as well."