The largest employer in the village of Ramsbury, near Aldbourne, has announced it is pulling out with the loss of 50 jobs.

Staff at medical supplies company MSB Ltd, the village's biggest single employer, were told they will be out of work by Christmas unless they were prepared to work in Gloucestershire.

MSB, which was set up 16 years ago in Ramsbury by Cliff Andrews making adhesive pads for electro cardiograph tests and other medical purposes, has been sold the Danish industrial giant Maersk.

Maersk Medical Ltd, which is based in Stonehouse in Gloucester-shire, will be taking on the production and marketing currently carried out at the Hilldrop Lane factory and offices in Ramsbury which are to close.

Employees were told that some will be offered secondment to the Maersk factory in the New Year.

Letters from Maersk to each employee said: "Any employee proposing to accept secondment will receive free transport.''

Lars Ronn, general manager for Maersk electrodes unit, said: "Maersk Medical already has an electrode business with manufacturing facilities located in Stonehouse.''

Mr Ronn said that after a month studying the operation at Rams-bury, Maersk had decided to move its activities to Stonehouse.

"Jobs will be offered at Stonehouse, but redundancies will be a possible consequence of moving the activities,'' he said.

The closure of the factory will come as a blow not only to Ramsbury but to many of the villages around where the workers come from.

Kennet District Council chairwoman Susan Findlay, who represents Ramsbury, said: "This is a terrible blow for the village. This news will be pretty grim for a lot of families.''

Ramsbury Parish Council chairman Sheila Glass said: "We think it is very unfortunate and we are looking to encouraging as many smaller employers as possible to relocate here.''