JOBS at Middlewich truck manufacturer MAN ERF are secured for the next 20 years after bosses signed on the dotted line for a £1billion contract.

As reported in the Guardian in October, the firm was chosen as preferred bidder to build a fleet of military trucks and vehicles for the British Army.

The contract - the biggest in the firm's history - will ensure the future of the 120-strong workforce, based at Midpoint 18, as well as creating between 20 to 30 new jobs at the Middlewich site and 600 across the UK.

Town Mayor Clr Jim Basford is delighted with the news and thinks the contract will be a good morale booster for employees at the company, which has seen massive job cuts over the past three years.

Clr Basford said: "As a former employee I'm really pleased it's finally been signed and the lads can look forward to a few years of stability."

The contract will see delivery of more than 5,000 army support vehicles by 2007 and the option to buy thousands more is currently being considered.

Des Evans, chief executive of MAN ERF, said: "This contract, as well as giving the British Army some of the best specialist vehicles in the world, will also give our UK company a solid platform from which to secure jobs and plan future growth."