The all-male group have been sleeping on the floor, washing in a sink basin and running low on food.

One of the workers, who did not want to be named, said: "There are a few stinky bodies and it is hard being away from your family and kids but we've managed to stay in touch on our mobiles which has been great.

"One guy has even called us up after seeing the publicity and asked for our mobile numbers and topped our phones up with £10, it's great to see such support."

They are protesting at Danish company Vestas Windsystems plan to make 625 workers redundant at the end of this month, despite rising profits.

The men have been telling each other jokes in a bid to keep spirits up.

'Face sack'

"One of the guys found a pair of latex cycling shorts in the office, so we all had a good laugh when he put them on and ran around.

"Just little things like that keep the atmosphere good."

He jokingly added: "It's all guys here so good to be away from the women for a while."

The protester said the experience is probably similar to being on the television show Big Brother.

The workers say morale is still high inside the factory

"It is a bit, but no arguments yet.

"We are pretty cut off from the outside world and food has been running low, there's no television and we've been mostly listening to the radio.

"We've just been living on things like sausage rolls, pasties, crisps and a few bits of fruit. We could really do with a KFC.

"But we've all seen the survival shows and know we can go a while without food as long as we have the basics.

"There's a water machine in the office and a coffee and tea vending machine.

"There's a toilet so there's no problem with that and a few guys brought some spare socks and clothes."

Vestas has now erected a fence at the entrance to the site to stop people throwing food up to a balcony for workers, but the firm has agreed to deliver food supplies.

The workers have also claimed the firm has told them they have been sacked and will lose redundancy pay.

'Not much sleep'

The men locked themselves in a first-floor office of about 40ft by 40ft on Monday evening and have been staying up at night in shifts to guard the doors.

"A lot of us had not had much sleep. I've been getting about two hours a night.

A fence was put up on Wednesday

"But we've been turning office chairs upside down and using the head rests as pillows even though they are not the most comfortable.

"This protest is a last-ditch attempt to save our jobs, we want the government to come down here and help us."

The group have vowed to continue their sit-in for "as long as it takes".

The worker said the managers are still coming into work on the floor below.

"So far only the middle managers have spoken to us, not the big bosses," he said.

"It started with a few phone calls, then we spoke through a crack in a door but today we let one in with the food.

"He said we had made our point and come down, but we want action first."

Vestas has not commented on the protest and only told the BBC a consultation on the site's future is on-going.

The firm has previously said the factory was being closed due to reduced demand for wind turbines in northern Europe.

See also:

Wind turbine protesters continue sit in as police accused of blocking food

Times Online: July 23, 2009
Chris Smyth and Ben Webster, Environment Editor

Supporters of the protest outside the factory (Chris Ison/PA)
A mini-climate camp is growing up around the protest at the Vestas plant

A handful of men - tired, hungry and soon to be unemployed - stood cheering on the balcony of a wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight, in what has become an unlikely front line of a clash over the future of Britain’s green economy.

About 25 workers were last night still inside the Vestas plant outside Newport, three days into a sit-in which has grown increasingly bitter. The occupiers of Britain’s only significant wind farm factory have accused managers of trying to starve them out and yesterday three people were arrested as protesters outside tried to deliver food supplies.

Last night the workers said managers had given them a new ultimatum to leave immediately or face arrest, prosecution and the loss of their redundancy payments when they do finally emerge. One of them, Mark Smith, told The Times: “We told them we’re not coming out. It was unanimous.”

Robert Brown, a member of the Law Society’s criminal law committee, said police had been acting unlawfully by blocking food deliveries: “Since when has it been the function of police officers to starve out protesters? And since when has it been a crime to carry sandwiches to protesters? It never has been.

“It is scandalous that the police refused to allow the food through. Giving the protesters food would help keep them calm and be more likely to prevent a breach of the peace.

“There is no law in this country that says that protest is unlawful. There does not appear to be any evidence that a breach of the peace is taking place at the factory.”

On the roundabout outside the factory, green campaigners and trade unionists created a miniature climate camp. Veteran activists were keen to turn the close of the Vestas factory into a parable of Britain’s failure to create green jobs.

Last week The Times revealed that the factory was closing down its production line within hours of the Government pledging a five-fold increase in the number of wind turbines in Britain. More than 600 people are due to be made redundant on July 30 - 525 in Newport and 100 at a related facility in Southampton.

The company has blamed the closure on the UK planning system’s obstruction of wind farms.

About 200 workers and supporters gathered outside the factory gates last night to show their support.

“It was really good, really uplifting to see all those people supporting us,” Mr Smith said.

The occupiers have demanded nationalisation of the plant, or an increase in redundancy payments, currently set at twice the statutory minimum. Andrew Turner, the Isle of Wight’s Tory MP, visited the factory yesterday and after talks with the management said that nationalisation was “not on the table”.

In the early hours of yesterday, a supporter from Kent was arrested when he rushed on to the factory premises and tried to attach food to a rope lowered by the protesters from a balcony. Ben Leamy, 38, was held for several hours but released without charge.

His custody sheet accused him of being “armed with supplies of food”. The arresting officer wrote: “Believed that the DP was going to supply the food. In doing so, fear that that the protest would be prolonged and therefore possibility of breach of the peace. Arrested to prevent same.”

Mr Leamy said: “I made it all the way to the rope with a huge bag of sausage rolls, scotch eggs and fruit and in another three seconds it would have been on its way up. Then they just piled on and grabbed me.”

At lunchtime there was a sign that police had softened their tactics, as more than a dozen protesters outside crossed the police line and threw food up to the occupiers.

Officers stood by as sliced loaves, scotch eggs and packets of ham rained down on to a balcony held by the occupiers. Private security guards tried to block the resupply but seemed reluctant to use violence. Many of the provisions were lost in hedges as protesters’ aim proved erratic.

A 28 year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer as the crowd entered the factory grounds. Later a 49-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a breach of peace as contractors erected a metal fence to prevent further incursions.

Mr Smith said: “We’ve got sausage rolls, biscuits, fruit. It will last for a little while."

One worker added: “It’s about time someone stood up to the managers. But I honestly don’t think it will make much difference,” one said. “We might get a bit more money out of it, but that’s it. It’s all too little too late.”