More than 500 jobs to go at Suffolk engineering firm

An engineering firm is to close its Suffolk base - with the loss of 520 jobs.

Delphi Diesel Systems, an American-owned conglomerate, says the closure will come in the form of a gradual scaling-down, with the site at Sudbury finally shutting in August 2020.

Workers were told today (Friday August 4) and the company said planned to help staff find jobs elsewhere in the region or at other Delphi sites.

The union Unite claimed the business - which makes diesel fuel injectors and filters for commercial vehicles - was moving work to Romania, where labour costs are cheaper.

Its assistant general secretary for manufacturing called on the government to come up with a "strong and robust strategy" to help keep engineering jobs in the UK.

The union went on to accuse Dephi of "jumping the gun" and choosing to close the site before it had time to come up with an alternative plan.

Unite said the company was continuing to make a six-figure profit each month and promised to campaign for Delphi to reverse the decision.