Jobs to go at Lloyds TSB?

Lloyds TSB has confirmed it is moving jobs to Bangalore and Hyderabad, India, and has not ruled out the possibility that losses may come from the Durrington-based registrars.

A spokeswomen for Lloyds said: "We are looking at all operations in the bank but it is too early to say that particular operation will be going to India."

The company opened an operation in Bangalore earlier this year and plans to have another opened in Hyderabad by the end of 2004.

The spokeswomen said that the job losses will be as "natural" as possible with the minimum of compulsory redundancies. She said it was hoped staff would take voluntary redundancy.

She added: "We will keep staff up to date with decisions as and when they are made."

A source close to the company emailed the Herald and claimed: "When the plan comes to realisation it will result in the immediate closure of the Highdown House premises in Durrington, along with the other branches in Birmingham and Edinburgh.

"Staff at Highdown House may well feel that the loss of their jobs is a shabby reward for their hard work making the registrars a success."

The source went on to claim the company's postal address would remain in Worthing but items would be scanned and sent to India where staff would enter data for "a fraction of the wages" of the Durrington employees.