ZURICH Financial Services, one of Swindon's biggest employers, has announced that it intends to close one of its local offices with the loss of more than 45 jobs.

The company's Data Centre in Wootton Bassett, which provides an IT processing service for all the UK companies within the Zurich group, is to be integrated with its continental counterpart in Switzerland.

A company statement said that the consolidation of its two European data centres "aims to streamline IT services throughout the company and to manage them in a centralised and cost-efficient way.

"Zurich will be working with its employees on the plans for the migration, though just how many, if any of its Wootton Bassett-based employees will be offered the opportunity to relocate to Switzerland is unknown," it said.

A company spokesman said: "This announcement is part of our global IT strategy to consolidate and streamline our IT functions. Forty-five jobs in Swindon are directly affected and we are working with those individuals to discuss options available."

It is believed the centre is ear-marked for closure next year.

The centralisation of Zurich's IT functions worldwide is designed to improve profitability by an estimated $1 billion for the year 2003.

Michael Paravicini, chief information technology officer for the group, said: "The consolidation will contribute to the cost-efficient delivery of IT services throughout the group."

The company said the closure did not signal the beginning of a jobs cull.

But a concerned Union of Finance Staff General Secretary Alan Woods said: "This decision certainly represents a shift by the company, because earlier this year, they made it clear they wanted to keep two data centres open as an insurance against a catastrophe.

Mr Woods said he was sceptical about any initiative by the company to relocate staff to Switzerland.

Zurich, which employs 4,000 people at six sites in Swindon, announced worldwide losses earlier this year of £2.1 billion.