HUNDREDS of Nestl Rowntree workers are backing the campaign to save York's other chocolate factory.

More than 300 Nestl employees have signed the Evening Press petition calling for Terry's to remain in the York area.

Their support takes the total number of signatures for our petition racing past the 4,000 mark - more than the 3,200 we collected in the 1990s for a petition calling for jobs to be saved at printers RR Donnelley.

The firm eventually left its old Boroughbridge Road printworks - but stayed within commuting distance of York by moving to new state-of-the-art factory near the A1.

The Evening Press is backing unions in campaigning for Kraft to relocate Terry's to a new, purpose-built factory in the York area.

John Kirk, regional organiser with the GMB union, which helped collect the Nestl workers' signatures, said: "It's pleasing to see that workers in one York confectionery firm are supporting fellow colleagues in another factory in the city."

Signatures have also been collected by some of the delegates who attended the GMB's national conference in Scarborough last week.

Chief Reporter Mike Laycock urged scores of delegates to go back to their workplaces across Britain and get employees to sign up to the petition.

Forms have been returning to the Evening Press from places as far away as Cornwall, Scotland, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and London.

Now we are appealing for one last push for more signatures. We want to show Terry's American owners Kraft what the people of York - and Britain - think of their plans to close the Terry's factory.

To those who have already signed up, many thanks.

To those who haven't, please do so now, cut out the coupon and send it in.

Updated: 08:44 Wednesday, May 26, 2004