The global economic crisis was today blamed for the loss of 80 jobs in Braintree.

Whitecroft Lighting on the Springwood Industrial Estate will stop trading by December and 80 staff are being made redundant.

Work being carried out at the site, which makes commercial lighting products, will be transferred to other branches in the Midlands and Manchester.

A handful of employees will be offered the chance to move to other sites.

The company today blamed the shutdown on the international economic crisis and the effect of the strong pound on overseas and UK sales.

One worker, who asked not to be named, said: "Everyone was called into a meeting and told the firm was shutting and there was to be a move up north.

"I was gutted and very shocked and a lot of the older people are very worried."

Staff have been asked to work until November 12.

Chief executive Paul Barton said: "We greatly regret having to make this decision but along with many manufacturing companies in the UK at this time, it has been forced upon us by the economic conditions that exist currently, particularly in the Far East.

"Unfortunately the closure of Braintree, the smallest of our three manufacturing sites in the UK, is inevitable to allow us to face these economic factors."

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