ALMOST 60 jobs are at risk after warehouse bosses announced plans to relocate from Marchington to Bradford – heaping more misery on Uttoxeter's devastated employment market.

Distribution firm Wincanton, which is based on the industrial estate off Stubby Lane, has lost a contract to transport Marks & Spencer store equipment.

Courier giant DHL took over the work.

Bosses say Wincanton will continue to store Marks & Spencer goods, but they will switch its warehouse operations to a new site in West Yorkshire early in 2010.

A total of 59 employees are expected to be affected. A further 23 have already been transferred to DHL under an employment law agreement.

The news comes less than a week after JCB announced 196 more jobs would go at its UK factories.

That includes 148 from its global headquarters in Rocester and another 25 from two factories in Cheadle.

Also, earlier this month 100 workers at the Fox's Biscuits plant, in Cheadle Road, Uttoxeter, were told they faced redundancy when parent company Northern Foods revealed it was to invest £26.5 million in automated machinery.

Uttoxeter MP Janet Dean, pictured, has spoken of the urgent need to increase the diversity of jobs in the town.

"We cannot continue to rely on single employers," she said.

"I have spoken to Advantage West Midlands and local authorities about the need for a wider employment base.

"We have to encourage more smaller businesses and at least one other big employer to set up here."

The number of Uttoxeter residents claiming Job Seeker's Allowance had fallen to 231 from a peak of 313 in April.

However, the figure is expected to leap during the festive season.

In January last year, before the effects of the recession took hold, only 72 people in the town were actively seeking work.

Mrs Dean said: "Hopefully another logistics company will fill the breach left in Marchington.

"JCB had increased employment before the recession and I am sure when improvements are finally made in the construction industry all over the world, the company will be able grow once again.

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