The Bradford call centre at mail order company Freeman Grattan Holdings is to be closed with the expected loss of 800 jobs.

Bosses at the troubled firm have confirmed the move following the first phase of consultations with unions and staff representatives.

The Bradford call centre will be phased out by September with work transferring to a more modern site in Sheffield.

And as staff left last night after being told the news, they told of their disappointment at the news they had feared for several weeks.

Janet Steane, 63, who has worked in the call centre for 25 years, said: “I feel sad about it. This place has given a lot of people a really good living for so long, it will be a sad day when I have to leave.

“A lot have worked here for as long as me. I left once for six months but I came back because I missed it so much. It’s not just a job, you have a social life outside and inside work, you see your work colleagues more than you see your family.”

Another female worker, who did not want to be named, said: “We knew it was coming for three weeks, but it’s the waiting that’s hard to take. It could be six months or six weeks.”

Another employee, who also did not want to be named, said: “It’s disappointing, if they go to Sheffield, we go, you can’t travel that far to work.

“People have taken it quite well, we’re just waiting now.”

The business, part of the German-based Otto Group, is looking to implement a wide-ranging re-structuring and cost-cutting plan aimed at making it profitable by the end of 2010.

Following talks, unions have accepted that there is no alternative to transferring call centre operations.

In a statement the company said: “Freeman Grattan Holdings confirms that, following the first phase of consultations on the future of the business, its customer contact centre in Bradford is to be closed as part of the re-structuring programme announced on January 14.

“Trade union and employee representatives have considered the options facing the business and have accepted the case for the phased closure of the contact centre at Bradford with work being absorbed by its contact centre in Sheffield, bringing the efficiencies of a single-site operation.”

Managers said no redundancy notices had been issued to call centre staff as further discussions with departments and individuals would continue about the details of the move which would affect up to 800 staff.

In a consultation bulletin issued to Bradford staff, FGH said it had been accepted by union and staff officials that the case for closing the Bradford call centre was “compelling”.

Talks are also continuing about the future of the Bradford warehouse at Listerhills as well as other sites, including Euston in London and Peterborough which involve more than 500 jobs.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh, whose constituency includes the Grattan call centre, said he was saddened by the decision.

He said: “I had a meeting at Grattan with (fellow MPs) Terry Rooney and Gerry Sutcliffe and we offered our help in whatever we could do but it seems that the process was well down the road by then.

“It is really a very sad day for Bradford and the beginning of a bad new year for the people who are going to lose their jobs and their families.”

Mr Singh said Grattan had organised job fairs with companies such as Marks and Spencer and Morrisons and put staff in touch with Job Centre Plus, with a view to employing and re-training them.

He added: “I can’t fault Grattan for trying to seek opportunities but Bradford is not known to have many job opportunities at the moment.

“This is another blow for the city.”

e-mail: chris.holland: @telegraphandargus.co.uk