Up to 300 jobs could be threatened as crop science firm Aventis halts research and development at its Ongar premises.

A brain drain at the town's largest employer may see 150 jobs moved to the international company's sites in Frankfurt and Lyon.

The switch raises uncertainty over the future of the other 150 workers employed at the former Rhone-Poulenc site.

Ongar MP Eric Pickles - who fears the first jobs will go next summer - says the company's decision casts doubt on the long-term future of the Fyfield Road site.

He said: "This is very bad news for the staff. While I understand they will be offered the opportunity to relocate, there is very little of this type of specialist work available in Essex.

"Besides the Research and Development department there are currently administration offices and offices concerned with the commercial side of Aventis' operation.

"I want to know how secure those facilities are at Ongar.

"During the next six months I will be doing my best to provide assistance to those individual staff affected by the changes and also working to get an appropriate commitment for the use of the site."

Aventis spokesman Fiona Clark confirmed that the move to wind down R&D activities at Ongar was part of a "global streamlining process".

She said: "The proposal to reorganise the research and development functions globally is likely to have a significant impact on employees.

"Our first priority is to help and support our employees through this period of uncertainty. But the people whose jobs are going to be affected by this are very skilled workers and there will be opportunities in the company for them.

"The R&D department will be affected by this reorganisation but there will still be a commercial team based in Ongar.

"And although the company is proposing to relocate a significant proportion of its activities overseas, the Aventis team will work closely with the local council to evaluate all of the options for the buildings that remain."

Should the company's proposals be implemented, it is likely that all staff moves would be complete by summer 2002.

Half of the Aventis staff are said to live within a 10 mile radius of the town. The company, which was taken over by Aventis earlier this year, has had links with the town since 1953.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.