The textile industry is fighting back after 18 months of mill closures, job losses and workers on short time.

The Regional Innovation Board for Textiles and Clothing, which was launched at Bradford's Cedar Court Hotel in July, has now come up with a number of initiatives to boost the industry.

The industry has been hit by the strength of the pound abroad, the economic crisis in the Far East and the weak demand for wool worldwide.

Thomas Amblers mill in East Ardsley, Morley, closed last month with the loss of 400 jobs and workers have been shed at Bradford firms, John Foster, Drummond and Parkland.

And textile workers have been put on short time at various periods at, among others, Jerome, Drummond and Woolcombers

Now the Board is planning a Better Made in Yorkshire event for early December at the Cedar Court and meetings are being planned for next month with retailers and mail order firms to urge them to buy from cloth-makers in the UK.

The event will give local textile bosses a chance to find out from up to 40 clothing manufacturers how to compete with Far East cloth producers.

John Lambert, director general of the Bradford-based Confederation of British Wool Textiles, said talks were also being held with its 180-member firms to speed up the time it takes to turn wool into cloth in a bid to compete with foreign importers.

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