Around 65 workers are facing an uncertain future after they were told of proposals to relocate their jobs to India.

According to a source, the financial service centre of Smiths News, in Centurion Way, Cleckheaton, made an announcement to staff last week that the Cleckheaton site will shut by December.

They told the Telegraph & Argus that the move was being made because the cost of labour in India was cheaper.

“None of the positions in Bradford are to be saved or relocated to any other UK site,” the source said.

The company is a major newspaper and magazine distributor with a network across the country.

It has a number of hubs, including in West Yorkshire.

Steve Hannan, a spokesman for Smiths News, acknowledged that staff had been informed of the company’s plans, but that any move was a long way off.

“We have not even entered the consultation period yet so I am not able to give very much information,” he said.

Mr Hannan said Smiths News, part of Connect Group plc, employs around 5,500 people and the number of jobs affected was around 250 nationally.

He said the figures are relatively small in comparison to the total workforce.

The jobs being looked at to go are those in the financial processing sector, such as that based at the shared service centre in Cleckheaton which deals with things such as financial processing, invoices and billing and would be carried out over a two-year period.

“The move is not affecting distribution, nor will it have an impact on news agents, and is being done to improve efficiencies across the company and to improve our core strength.”

Mr Hannan said they were working with their partners in India which held a strong position in the country in financial processing with a workforce that was already there.

It had a ‘huge’ business core and had offices in the UK as well as in India.

“There will be some saving in cost with the move to India, but that is secondary to the objective which is to make us as efficient as possible and allow us to focus on our workforce here.”

Mr Hannan said they were liaising with the employee relations team and there was a legal process behind the plans.

He said he had no further information to hand but the process was being followed properly.

He was not able to say whether the Bradford jobs were earmarked to go by the end of the year.

Kath Pinnock (Lib Deb) Kirklees ward councillor for Cleckheaton said it was "bad news for the individuals and for the wider community".

“I was not aware of this news. I haven’t heard anything at all but if it happens it will be a blow for the town and for those involved.

“It’s 65 jobs, 65 incomes which makes a difference. I guess a lot of Smiths News’ employees will live reasonably locally and will spend money locally. They may have families and could end up struggling. There will also be looking for a replacement job.

“I will keep an eye open for any news but my concern is that once a consultation process starts there is generally only one outcome.

“It is very sad indeed.”