SIXTY-SEVEN jobs are to go as a soft drinks firm closes its Tredegar factory this Friday.

The Scottish firm AG Barr, which makes Irn Bru and Rubicon, is to relocate its carton production from Tafarnaubach Industrial Estate to a new site in Milton Keynes.

The firm announced in June last year it would relocate to Buckinghamshire and this morning confirmed the closure of the Tredegar branch on Friday, February 6.

A spokesperson for the company thanked all its employees for their “commitment and professionalism”.

They said: “We fully acknowledge the contribution that the team has made to the success of the business.

"We have worked closely with the team since May to support training and outplacement and we are pleased to report that several of our employees have secured alternative employment in the local area, with a number assisting in supporting the Milton Keynes site during the transition period.”

The company said its move was a “very difficult decision to make” but is part of its ongoing strategy to maintain competitiveness in the UK soft drinks market.

In May last year, AG Barr announced the move and said up to 27 new jobs will be created in Milton Keynes.