Firm said its programme would see the retention of one factory

Workers at three factories of the clothing company Desmonds have accepted redundancy deals offered by the company.

Management met union leaders on Wednesday to discuss redundancy packages for up to 500 workers.

The union confirmed that factories in Omagh, County Tyrone, and Swatragh, County Londonderry, will close on 20 June with the third plant in Irvinestown, County Fermanagh closing less than a month later on 11 July.

Desmonds, which employs almost 2,000 people in the province, makes clothes for Marks and Spencer.

Both sides met last week in Swatragh to discuss the job losses.

The pay offs come just four months after the firm announced that more than 300 jobs were to go at two other plants.

On Tuesday, the company said it was undertaking "a further planned reduction in its production capacity".

This would lead to the loss of 482 jobs, said a spokesman.

In order to compete for future orders the vast bulk of production will have to be fulfilled in our overseas factories Desmonds statement

The move means 229 redundancies in Omagh, 130 redundancies in Swatragh, and 115 in Irvinestown.

Desmonds is also expected to make five workers redundant at its Newbuildings factory in County Derry, with a further three losing their jobs at its Drumahoe plant.

The firm said its closure programme would see the retention of one factory in Northern Ireland, as well as its global headquarters and central warehousing function at Drumahoe.

The company said had it not responded in this way, it would have led inevitably to the demise of the business "to the greater economic detriment of Northern Ireland".

Desmonds provides employment for another 5,384 in its overseas joint venture factories and third party manufacturing units in Turkey, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

It is also a joint venture partner with Marks & Spencer in The Zip Project, which designs and sources children's wear for Marks & Spencer and employs 120 in Claudy, County Londonderry.