The IMI site at Witton, a Birmingham industrial landmark for more than 150 years, is reaching the end of the road thanks to the Fukushima nuclear disaster - leaving dozens of workers with a Christmas redundancy cheque.

IMI Components, which is part of the listed IMI group headquartered on Birmingham Business Park, will be left with only a skeleton staff as the winding-down of the Witton operation continues.

The pre-Christmas departure of the vast majority of the 108-strong staff marks the symbolic end of a key slice of Birmingham's industrial heritage dating back to the mid-Victorian era which was to become famous worldwide.

IMI announced earlier this year that the Witton factory, which makes components used in the nuclear energy sector, was to close due to a dramatic downturn in orders.

The factory had been badly hit by the fallout from the Fukushima disaster more than three years ago and IMI Components said it had been unable to find alternative revenue streams of sufficient volume and value to counter the loss of orders.

The winding-down of the plant will sever an historic industrial link dating back to 1862, when entrepreneur George Kynoch opened a percussion cap factory at Witton.

By 1881, it had grown to become Britain's largest ammunition manufacturing company.

Renamed Nobel Industries, it became a major supplier of carburettors and radiators for both automobiles and aircraft in the decade following the end of the First World War.

In 1927, Nobel Industries became one of the four founders of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) and the Witton site became the head office and principal manufacturing base of ICI Metals Division.

In the 1950s, after becoming Imperial Metal Industries, the organisation was involved in specialist research and development for the first fleet of UK Magnox Reactors.

It was this part of the business which became IMI Components and a base for supplying high precision nuclear components.

But the Witton site is now set to become a virtual industrial ghost-town, with only a skeleton staff retained in advance of its final closure after 152 years next year.

Unite union regional organiser John Walsh said: "It's a sad day. The factory is being progressively closed and the majority of the shop floor have gone in the past couple of weeks, with only a minimal staff kept on as they wind down.

"This really is a clear example of the global workforce in which we all work these days.

"The effects of the Fukushima nuclear explosion - plus the decision by the German Government to exit the nuclear industry - has resulted in the closure of a factory thousands of miles away.

"This site at Witton has been part of the industrial landscape of Birmingham for more than 150 years. It is even older than Aston Villa which is the other world-famous name in Witton."

Mr Walsh said a small number of workers had transferred under TUPE legislation to a sister company but the vast majority of the shop floor had received statutory redundancy and a severance payment.

IMI Components managing director Maurice Tunstall said in a statement earlier this year: "It is extremely regrettable that we are faced with this situation - however global events have had a very adverse effect on demand for our products."