UK company to manufacture shoes in India

London, Feb 23 (PTI) The new owner of an ailing
Leicester-based shoe company has announced that under the new
management, shoes will now be manufactured in India.

Equity Shoes, a 123-year-old company, was closed last
month and went into voluntary liquidation after failing to
find a buyer. However, it has now been bought by York-based
Pavers Shows.

Stuart Paver, managing director of Pavers Shoes, said,
"We are continuing to sell the shoes from Leicester, as well
as design and develop them in the city. The manufacturing will
be transferred to India."

Paver said his company had been dealing with Equity for
the past 30 years and knew the business very well.

Officials at Equity Shoes, which was running as a
co-operative, blamed its demise on falling sales and
competition from cheap imports.

Duncan Harrod, spokesman for the Community Union, which
represented Equity workers, said: "We are always happy to see
footwear jobs safeguarded in the UK, but it's a shame Equity
shoes will not continue to be made in the UK." PTI