Around 40 workers at BP's Coryton refinery near Stanford-le-Hope are to lose their jobs, it has been revealed.

The temporary agency staff are being laid off from Monday as part of a cost-cutting exercise - but no permanent staff will be affected, the company said.

BP spokesman Pat Robson said that a mixture of short and long-term workers from a variety of different employment agencies in Thurrock would be affected.

However, she said it was not part of any restructuring plan BP originally suggested when it took over the refinery from Mobil.

She said: "It's more to do with the nature of business. You have to make changes and with the present problems in the oil industry at the moment we have to save costs where we can."

She made clear that none of the permanent staff at the refinery were being made redundant in the shake-up, but said it was "unfortunate" for the agency workers.

"They will be getting our sympathy as some of them have been with us for quite a while.

"Those involved were spoken to yesterday and we will be ending their contracts next week."

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