IT is with relief that the Gazette can report the 80 or so jobs left at struggling engineering firm Lister Petter are saved.

It is perhaps not as most people would have liked it, as the engineering side of the company has been bought and renamed as Dorset Road One and is already being shipped off to a facility in Minchinhampton.

But people must remember not only was the company planning to move even further away to Hardwicke anyway, but until a few days ago it looked like there would be no company at all and a firm, with such a proud 140 year history in Dursley, would have met with a miserable end.

A lot of questions remain about the furore surrounding the company and its handling over the last few years, which will hopefully come to the fore soon.

It is no secret the firm owes a significant amount of money and everyone is hoping that this burden will not be too much for a resurgence of the company’s fortunes.

Of course Mr Modell has not enjoyed favourable headlines around the country after the Gazette’s exclusive story on his visit to the Dursley factory in November last year in a brand new Ferrari - a day after workers were told 45 of them would not have a job by Christmas.

But the fact is he has stumped up what must be a considerable amount of cash to buy the business, which will keep around 80 people and their families receiving regular income for the foreseeable future.