STAFF at Motorola face Christmas without knowing if their jobs are safe.

The company remained tight lipped yesterday after announcing more than 9,000 redundancies worldwide.

Many staff knew nothing of the cuts until they read a late edition of the Evening Advertiser.

Motorola spokesman Mark Durrant said staff affected by any new redundancies will be briefed as the plans for each site are finalised.

He said: "This is a policy that is stipulated by regulations in the US and to which we must adhere to. However, I would reiterate Motorola's on-going commitment to Swindon being at the heart of our European cellular network structure manufacturing."

Industry analysts have been questioning the viability for Motorola to maintain all but a token presence in the UK.

The company's training centre at Europark in Blagrove and an administration site in Kembrey Park, will both close at New Year.

The company has already shed 700 jobs in Swindon this year, and after the two buildings close there will be around 2,000 staff at its headquarters in Blagrove and at its Groundwell manufacturing plant, where mobile phone base stations are produced.

None of the staff leaving Motorola's Blagrove administration site last night (wed) would comment on the potential job losses.

One told us: "Sorry, I'm not allowed to talk to you."

We stopped several employees before we were asked by a senior manager to leave the premises.