BAE Systems in Preston has shocked workers by announcing surprise job cuts.

The move will see 260 jobs axed from the company's plants in Samlesbury and Warton, near Preston. And company bosses have not ruled out the possibility of making the first compulsory redundancies for over a decade.

Many of the affected workers live in Preston and MP Mark Hendrick has slammed the move, describing it as frightening for staff.

He said: "The way this matter has been handled is disgraceful. It seems almost as if the company have plucked this figure of 260 jobs out of the air and haven't decided yet who is to actually go. I think it is outrageous the way that they manage their staff there, and this has left many of them demoralised. At the moment the situation has left many people very frightened.

"The company has created this uncertainty among staff and it has begun to seem like only the shareholders matter. Obviously the decision has already been made and I cannot change this, but I am going to try and put pressure on the company to retrain the staff to keep them on."

But BAE was quick to reassure that other options will be open to the affected staff within the company.

David Lewis, spokesman for BAE, said: "Two hundred and sixty jobs doesn't necessarily mean 260 people. Between now and Christmas we will be releasing 260 jobs from the Warton and Samlesbury plants -- mainly from the service sector which covers administration and human resources. But we will be redeploying staff throughout the company, as well as retraining them and re-skilling them.

"We are hoping to avoid compulsory redundancy, but we cannot rule it out."

Barry Culshaw, chairman of the MSF Union's Warton unit, said: "While we can work together with the company to solve the need for job cuts through voluntary redundancy, redeployment and retraining, at the first indication we have from BAE systems that compulsory redundancies will be made we will try to fight the decision. We will oppose compulsory redundancies."