ABOUT 150 jobs are being lost after Virgin Holidays Cruises announced it is to leave Royal Wootton Bassett.

The company, which is based in Coped Hall Business Park, is moving the administrative operations of Virgin Holidays Cruises to its headquarters in Crawley in eight to 10 weeks.

Staff, who have had a 30-day consultation period, have been given the option of relocating to Crawley, homeworking, flexible working or re-employment elsewhere in the Virgin Holidays family, but a spokesman confirmed that some have opted for redundancy.

A spokesman said: “There are about 150 people at that location but some of that is shift work. All of them have been affected.

“For a few people the options we gave them didn’t suit them and they have chosen the redundancy option. I can’t say how many because it is an ongoing process.

“The process will take place in eight to 10 weeks.”

The spokesman said the company had been evaluating back office systems and team structures to identify where efficiencies can be made, duplications avoided and opportunities for investment and continued innovation realised.

“As part of that process, and to provide all of our brands with the maximum support without passing on unnecessary costs to customers, a proposal to move the remaining administrative operations of Virgin Holidays Cruises in to our Crawley HQ has recently been accepted,” he said.

“The team has completed a 30-day consultation concerning this matter where they were given the opportunity to change their current working arrangements including relocation to Crawley, homeworking, flexible working or re-employment elsewhere.

“Virgin Holidays Cruises will continue to operate as normal, providing the selection of fully protected, great value cruise experiences they have always done.”