Bosses from the company's human resources team in Derby have spent the past few days in Barnoldswick carrying out the investigations and we understand the suspensions cover management staff, as well as shop floor workers.

We were alerted to the latest situation by a call from a worker at the firm on Wednesday morning.

The investigations are believed to follow on from our exclusive report in August relating to allegations that hundreds of counterfeit compact discs were being produced at the Bankfield and Ghyll Brow sites.

A copy of a letter outlining the allegations which had been sent to Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, who visited Barnoldswick earlier this year, was sent to this newspaper.

Royalties
It asked how Rolls-Royce could allow its facilities to be used by workers to produce the fake CDs, robbing singers of their royalties, although workers we spoke to at the time felt it impossible for any reproducing to be carried out on site.

The company also strenuously denied the claims at the time and said that neither the company or its employee representatives were aware of any counterfeiting.

But following our original story, we received a copy of a letter sent to Lancashire Trading Standards which alleged it should have been aware, as a letter had been sent to the human resources department late last year, but no action taken.

A company spokesman said yesterday: "A number of people have been interviewed and six Rolls-Royce employees have been suspended on full pay pending further investigation.

"Rolls-Royce takes allegations of this nature very seriously, and, as demonstrated by its actions, is dealing with it as a responsible company should."