MORE than 50 civil engineers in Bolton have been told they will lose their jobs tomorrow as part of a major North-west shake-up involving pipeline specialists PN Daly.

The civil engineering company, which has an office in Lum Street, Bolton, and depots across the North-west, has written to more than 50 employees in the Bolton area to tell them that they will no longer be employed as from 11.59pm tomorrow.

The workers have been told that their jobs will go because Transco - British Gas's pipeline supply arm - is not renewing their contract.

Stunned PN Daly staff, who have been working on Transco contracts for the past four years, were told the shock news on Thursday afternoon.

Letters confirming the bleak news arrived yesterday from Rochdale-based PN Daly accompanied by an information pack with the address of the Law Society in Liverpool advising them on their legal rights. One worker, who has clocked 10 years with PN Daly, but asked to remain anonymous, said: "We were all very shocked. We had heard runours three weeks ago that Transco were not renewing the contract."

Transco have confirmed that PN Daly and another company, Norwest Holst, have lost their contracts to lay pipelines for them.

"We are facing a situation were we have to go out to competitive tender," Alex Cunningham, a spokesman for Transco told the BEN.

Mr Cunningham explained: "We invited companies to tender for two large contracts in the North-west worth many millions of pounds.

"These have been awarded to John Kennedy Civil Engineering Ltd and DJ Ryan & Sons Ltd.

"It was very much a competitive thing. Being a company that is regulated we are bound to undertake all of these activities in order to get the best value."

The new contract awarded will last for five years securing many hundreds of jobs and will outbalance the unfortunate loss of local jobs, Transco say.

Transco are involved in contracts worth more than £10 million in the North-west .

Mr Cunningham said: "We are still issuing work that employs many hundreds of people in the North-west."

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