More than 2,200 people work for Norwich Union in Sheffield

The company plans to cut more than 4,000 jobs across the country at its Norwich Union business by 2008.

Sheffield's Norwich Union office employs 2,271 people and deals with a wide range of services.

In addition to the Norwich Union cuts, Aviva said it would close its BSM driving school in Sheffield by December 2007 with the loss of three jobs.

A company spokesman said the city was still a "key site" for Norwich Union and plans were in place to refurbish its City Plaza offices.

Aviva said about half of the 4,000 job reductions would come through compulsory redundancies.

Workers' union Amicus described the move as "brutal" and said it was a "betrayal" of Norwich Union's long serving workforce.

Jobs are also to be axed at sites in York, Norwich, Glasgow, Birmingham and Cambridge, among others.