Wrexham Council this morning confirmed the discussions, saying that manufacturing would continue from the site and that the 68 workers laid off more than a month ago could be taken back on.

Council leader Aled Roberts said the talks had been "encouraging" and there could be "light at the end of the tunnel" for staff.

He is working alongside Cllr Dave Bithell, meeting the workers and union officials to see what more can be done to help.

"We have spoken with the firm to find out what their intentions are and they have told us that manufacturing will resume," Cllr Roberts said.
"We are hopeful that the situation will pick up."

Cllr Bithell said: "We want to meet with union officials to see if there is anything we can do for workers in the interim period.

"They are sill quite angry by the way the situation was handled, but they are hopeful that they may get their jobs back.

"The discussions are very encouraging. Dennis Ruabon is a long established company in the local area and it would have been a shame for it to close."

Clwyd South MP Martyn Jones will today raise the matter in the House of Commons in the Welsh debate.

Last month he told the Leader that he did not want to see "an episode of soulless asset stripping that fails to take into account the needs of the local community".

He blasted the secrecy surrounding the sale and said it failed to "fill anyone with confidence".

"I'm hoping to make it to the Welsh debate and raise the issue," he said.

"I will say there is still a lack of clarity about what exactly is going on."

The company, based at Hafod Tileries, Ruabon, was saved from administrative receivership in an eleventh hour bid by Ruabon Sales Ltd.

It is the only remaining quarry tile manufacturer left in the UK but problems started when sales plummeted and failed to cover the cost of operating.

A total 68 jobs were axed from the plant last month but bosses kept tight-lipped and were slammed for leaving workers "in the dark".

Union representatives feared that the company was looking to "asset strip" by selling off stockpiles.

But a notice on the Dennis Ruabon website says the firm is now taking orders claiming "business as usual".