POOLE Pottery could be sold to new owners within days, safeguarding 88 jobs and part of the town's treasured history.

Two bids that would net between £1m-£1.6 million are being considered.

The company is in the hands of administrators after virtually collapsing under crippling debts.

At a creditors' meeting in London yesterday it was revealed that talks with two bidders were ongoing amid hopes that a deal could be struck by the end of this week.

It is the best news yet for the 88 staff at the Sopers Lane factory whose future has hung in the balance since the famous firm was put into the hands of receivers last May, just days before it faced a winding-up petition.

A handful of creditors, including representatives of Poole council, were given the news by joint administrator Keith Goodman who said negotiations are at a crucial stage: "I want to sell the pottery by the end of the week," he said.

He is satisfied the pottery's parent company Orb Estates had acted in a supportive role and tried to safeguard the firm's future before it also went into administration.

Orb is one of the creditors and is owed just over £1.7 million.

Mr Goodman said: "Something clearly went wrong within the Orb group and meant they did not have the resources to continue to support the pottery."

He said Orb's acquisition of the pottery in 1999 was primarily a property transaction to allow it relocate the factory to Sopers Lane and build the Dolphin Quays luxury apartments and shops complex .

But a collapse in profits during 2001 and 2002 left the pottery unable to pay its bills, and shortly afterwards Orb itself hit the rocks.

"When Orb got into difficulties it did not want its failure to affect the pottery. It wanted the pottery to succeed and survive," said Mr Goodman, explaining why the pottery was put into administration first and separately from Orb.

His plans for the sale of the pottery as a going concern have been agreed by all creditors except one.