THAMES Water is to make 200 people redundant at its Swindon call centre.The Kembrey Park customer centre has been under review in what the water company says is a bid to improve its performance.

The 200 jobs to go include the 28 meter readers and administration staff cut from the Highworth base on redundancy. However, there will need to be compulsory job losses, although all staff being made redundant will be given help to find a new job. Thames Water's director of customer services Linda MaslenCOR said: "We are committed to maintaining our customer centre in Swindon and believe these changes will help make our operation there more efficient and more effective.

"We understand that for some colleagues this will be a difficult time but we will do all we can to support them and explain the options available."

As part of the Swindon customer centre review Thames Water has decided it will reduce the amount of work it gives to Rotherham firm Ventura. Ventura, which runs its own call centres in the UK and India, answers billing inquiries from customers, most often at peak times, to take the strain off the Swindon centre.

In October 2002 Thames Water announced it was to cut its Swindon call centre staff, which then numbered more than 1,000, by 150.

The last call centre in Swindon to close its doors was Endeva, the administrative arm of Box Clever, formerly Radio Rentals. Its Westlea offices shut in February, having gone into administrative receivership the previous October.

At its peak Endeva employed 400 people in Swindon. More than 50 people were given statutory redundancy in the autumn and 60 people lost their jobs when the offices closed in February.

It was announced in June last year that Cellular Operations' Hillmead office and Kembrey Park warehouse were to close for good with the loss of 480 jobs. New boss Vodafone said it did not need the mobile phone service provider. At its peak the Swindon call centre took 160,000 calls a month.

1,500 losses in 2004

Jun Thames confirms more than 200 staff will be made redundant at Kembrey Park

May Thames Water says 28 jobs will go in Highworth

Apr Drug manufacturer Cardinal Health says 70 staff face redundancy

Apr 270 posts to go at WH Smith's Swindon and London offices

Apr 450 jobs to lost in next nine months at Zurich

Mar 150 jobs to be cut at Swindon College

Feb 60 people made redundant at Endeva

Jan Swindon Pressings announce 330 people will lose their jobs