TOPSHOTS An employee of the "Seita-Imperial tobacco" plant in Carquefou wears the symbolic cask of comic book hero Asterix during a protest at the entrance of the factory on April 16, 2014. Imperial Tobacco yesterday announced the closure of factories in Britain and France with the loss of 900 jobs, citing declining sales in Europe, tougher anti-smoking measures and the growth of contraband sales. The two factories concerned are Carquefou's one, where 327 people are employed, and Nottingham in central England, which has 540 staff. AFP PHOTO / JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD