RECEIVERS at the Brandons turkey factory in Abergavenny believe a deal is in sight for the company, but it is still "two to three weeks off".

Brandons slipped into receivership last April amid claims that cheap imports were flooding the UK market and ruining its profit margins.

Since then it has been run by receivers Price-waterhouseCoopers in the hope of selling the business as a going concern.

The firm employs around 600 at Abergavenny and a further 800 at sites around the UK.

Many of the staff are represented by the Trans-port and General Workers Union, but representative Andy Hilditch was unavailable.

PricewaterhouseCoopers executive Derek Howell said: "We are negotiating with potential purchasers, but the timeframe for these discussions is not entirely within our control. We're hoping to close a deal within two to three weeks, but these matters are confidential and I cannot say any more about them."

Brandons is number two in the UK turkey-processing business. The market leader is Norfolk-based Bernard Matthews Foods, but no-one at the firm was prepared to comment on whether the firm had plans for an Abergavenny factory acquisition.