JOBS are at risk at at a Bradford city centre insurance company, it has emerged.

Congregational, based in Currer Street, Little Germany, a provider of specialist church insurance in the UK for more than 125 years, is reducing its staff numbers.

The Telegraph & Argus understands a total of 17 jobs, around a quarter of its workforce, could be lost under the proposal.

Staff were told of the plans at a meeting held on Tuesday, January 16. The consultation will end on February 10.

The roles to go at the firm, previously known as Congregational & General, are as claims handlers, administration staff, home administration, home underwriters, facilities staff.

The T&A was told between 60 and 70 people work at the company, which provides insurance for churches and church- owned properties.

The source said: “It’s a big employer in the centre of Bradford. It should not be like this.

“A meeting was called when they were told that 17 people were under the threat of redundancy. It is a blow for Bradford as well.

“They are a company that has been in Bradford since 1891.”

Congregational & General, a previous name of the company, sold its majority share of its subsidiary home insurance operation MGA, Integra Insurance Solutions Ltd, to the Hannover Re Group in 2012. It has also previously been known as Iconica Business Services Ltd.

Congregational’s insurance policies are underwritten by International Insurance Company of Hannover SE UK Branch (IICH) and administered by Integra Insurance Solutions Ltd.

An Integra Insurance Solutions Ltd spokesman confirmed a restructure of the business was under way but did not reveal the number, if any, of redundancies would be made.

A company spokesman said: “The company can confirm we are looking to introduce some organisational efficiency improvements, principally in support of maximising the competitiveness of our home insurance offering.

“As part of this process, we are consulting with employees.

“We are looking to avoid redundancies wherever possible and therefore where redundancies are necessary, these will be kept to an absolute minimum.”

Bradford West MP Naz Shah said she was disappointed at the firm’s announcement and added it was a blow for her constituency.

She said: “It’s very disheartening to hear that this is happening at a firm which has been around for more than 100 years.”

The Little Germany company was originally run by the Congregational and General Charitable Trust, which is an independent grant-making charity. Its aim is to support churches, particularly those of the United Reformed and Congregational denominations, in the provision and repair of suitable buildings.