BBC News Online: UK: Northern Ireland

Job losses in Limavady

Courtaulds' lingerie in Limavady said on Thursday 48 jobs were going and a further 20 were being transferred to Nottingham.

Courtaulds currently employs 420 people in the province. The Limavady site is its last factory in Northern Ireland.

Others have closed over the past few years at Markethill and Portadown in County Armagh, at Plumbridge and Cookstown in County Tyrone, and at Irvinestown in County Fermanagh.

'No guarantees'

A management spokesman blamed the job losses on market pressures.

He said although he hoped they would protect the future of the plant, in the current climate no guarantees could be given.

The cutbacks are in support areas such as planning and purchasing. Machinists' jobs have not been affected.

The Ulster Unionist MP for east Londonderry, Willie Ross, said Limavady could ill afford to lose the jobs:

He added: "I am deeply sympathetic to the problems of the employees who will be made redundant for they will bear the brunt of the hardship".