A NEW factory and tourist attraction plan-ned for Cwmbran is poised to create 100 jobs.

Dairy ice cream manufacturer Loseley, which owns the South Wales brand Thayers, is building a glass panelled walkway and visitor centre above its new ice cream factory at Llantarnam Business Park.

Managing director Tim Wilson said: "All children love ice cream and business studies is now on the curriculum at most schools.

"Where better to enjoy business and pleasure than a state-of-the-art ice cream factory?"

Loseley completed the purchase of the 78,000 square foot former Panasonic factory last week and will create 100 new jobs later this year.

The plan is to build the most modern ice cream making facility in Europe and one of the reasons it is being sited in Cwmbran is the availability of skilled engineers to handle the state-of-the-art production equipment.

Mr Wilson said: "A high-level, fully-enclosed walkway running the length of the factory will enable visitors to observe the production process from start to finish."

With a location just two minutes from the M4, Mr Wilson said Cwmbran is within two hours drive of half the UK's population.

Consequently he is expecting the visitor centre to become a major Welsh attraction and a must for school trips.

Dave Ludlow, head of economic development for Torfaen council, said: "We think this is a very good idea, and it will encourage people to view manufacturing in a positive light, and let them see how a product that's consumed in some quantity is made. We have spoken to the company about information together to go with the National Curriculum.

"And it's not the normal heritage attraction, so there's the potential to attract people from all over the country.

"People can see how ice-cream's made and then go round the World Heritage Site in Blaenavon afterwards."

Llantarnam councillor Jack Hughes said: "If it's going to help anybody in their education I can't knock it, but I'm not too sure about bringing lots of people onto an industrial estate. "That's a big question mark and I've got mixed feelings on it."