Disgruntled workers and union leaders are demanding showdown talks with a Government minister over plans to close a factory employing disabled people.

The Government appeared to have dealt a decisive blow to Bradford's Remploy factory when it confirmed its closure at the end of last month.

But employees at the Bowling Back Lane factory, backed by the GMB Union, have refused to surrender without a fight and have drawn up detailed proposals to keep the factory open for another two years.

They want to invite Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain to the factory for a meeting where they will outline their business case for keeping the Bradford branch open.

The plan would see the factory continue production as normal, but a new training centre and employment exchange for disabled people would be incorporated in the building to provide it with another useful function.

Remploy and the Government have promised that compulsory redundancy will not be forced on any disabled employees, but 32 workers will face a transfer to Remploy's Leeds factory if the Bradford plant closes.

Terry Patton, Bradford branch secretary of the GMB union, said: "We now have a business case for keeping the Bradford factory open.

"We are looking to keep it open for two years as a factory, training centre and an employment exchange.

"It will be a tremendous mix and a two-year period of grace would provide the time to prove it's viable.

"If the Minister hears what we have got to say and how it can be improved, he will see that this is the way forward.

"It's a great idea, but will anybody listen?"

Clive Prince, who has worked at the factory for more than 20 years, said: "I have met Gerry Sutcliffe and he is going to back us all the way to help it stay open.

"We are trying to get the Minister up here so we can question him and tell him it is viable to keep it open."

Mr Prince said a transfer to the Leeds factory was out of reach for many disabled workers at the Bradford branch due to travel difficulties.

Bradford South MP Mr Sutcliffe said: "This is a new purpose-built factory and we will do what we can to keep it open.

"If it does close, we need to find an alternative and we could use the Council's procurement and some private sector companies in partnership.

"There are good redundancy agreements in place for Remploy workers, but those who do want to work should be allowed to do so."

He said there was potential for the factory to remain open, but with a different structure.

Mr Sutcliffe said the factory's future operations could be along similar lines to the Isco 5 project, an employment scheme for disabled people run by Bradford and Calderdale councils.

Under current plans, the doors of Remploy's Bradford branch would close on March 31 next year. Remploy, the UK's largest employer of disabled people, wants to close 28 factories as part of a "modernisation programme".