Insider Media Limited

Barclays is to axe almost 450 posts in technology and infrastructure division, with cuts expected at its Northampton site.

In a statement, the bank said it would make every effort to mitigate compulsory redundancies, pointing out that the 422 job losses represented 0.74 per cent of its UK staff. Most job cuts are set to take place at its Radbrooke Hall site in Knutsford.

A spokesman said: "We need to make essential changes to our technology and infrastructure division so that we can innovate in new technologies and services for our customers, and be as effective and efficient as possible.

"While regrettably this will mean job losses, we will make every effort to mitigate compulsory redundancies and are working closely with Unite and impacted staff."

David Fleming, national officer of the Unite union, said the news was a "new year's blow" for staff. "Unite has strongly opposed the sending of some of this work to Lithuania, when there are already highly trained workers carrying out this work," he said.

"The vast majority of jobs will be going from Radbrooke Hall, Cheshire. There will also be jobs cut in Northampton and a scattering among other sites around the country."

The bank will open a voluntary redundancy register under moves to minimise compulsory job losses and said it would make "every effort" to redeploy impacted staff.

It added that Radbroke would remain a strategic technology location for Barclays and employ 1,332 staff in technology and infrastructure after the restructure.