Job fears at Seaham, Whitehaven and Amble seafood sites

There are fears that up to 550 jobs could be lost at the County Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland branches of a seafood firm.

Cumbrian Seafoods, and its subsidiary Border Laird, were bought by Young's Seafood Limited after administrators were called in on 5 December.

The new owner is now proposing the integration of customer contracts and the movement of volume between sites.

A consultation has begun with staff at Seaham, Whitehaven and Amble.

Young's Seafood Ltd said that if the proposals were implemented it could result in the loss of up to 363 jobs in Seaham, 112 in Whitehaven, and 80 in Amble.

Pete Ward, the company's chief operating officer, said: "This move does not reflect on the committed and skilled teams in Seaham, Whitehaven and Amble, who are continuing to work hard through this time, which is a huge credit to the whole workforce.

"However, it is clear from the fact that the business went into administration that the current business model is not viable.

"We continue to be focused on fulfilling customer contracts and talking, in detail, with the employees about options for the future."