The move is to ensure the long-term viability of the site

Invista announced it is cutting the jobs at its Wilton plant as part of its global plans to reduce costs.

The firm blames the rising cost of raw materials and other market trends means it has to take steps to secure the future for the business.

It says nothing will be shut down at the Wilton site and it will not affect a �290m modernisation programme which is now in its final stages.

Invista, which was recently bought out from DuPont by US-based Koch Industries Inc, says the moves are being made to reduce costs and allow the Wilton facilities to be more competitive.

The Wilton site produces Nylon intermediates and polymers, which are used in the production of textiles, carpets, air bags and nylon clothing.

'Challenging time'

The site also makes adipic acid which is used in the production of paints, in food use and in polyurethanes like car seats and sports shoe soles.

Site manager John Anderson said: "This is a challenging time for employees, but we recognise that we must take these difficult steps to ensure success and realise long-term viability of the site."

Where possible, redundancies will be voluntary but there could also be compulsory redundancies and consultations with staff have started.

The redundancies affect 70 staff and 90 contractors.

The company says the nylon part of the business has been hit for some time by growing raw material and energy costs.

It said there is a reduction in Invista's regional customer base as a result of a significant relocation of clothing production to counties outside Europe, particularly Asia.