Babcock will service Hawks at Valley's jet pilot training school

An engineering company says it will review plans for redundancies at RAF Valley on Anglesey after talks with trade unions.

There were fears that between 59 and 100 civilian workers employed at the base could lose their jobs when Babcock Defence Services takes over a new contract in April.

Members of the Transport and General Workers' Union met the company for talks on Tuesday.

The company won a �65m contract from rival defence company Brown & Root and Marshall Aerospace (Brama) last September to carry out routine service work on Hawk jets.

Union member Tom Jones said: "Babcock have agreed to review their situation which gives us a good chance to sit down and try to talk some sense with them.

"They realise the importance of these jobs in Anglesey... I am confident they will have a different answer when we meet them again next month."

But he said it was possible some jobs would go.

'World-class operation'

After winning the contract Peter Rogers, chief executive of Babcock, said he couldn't guarantee the safety of any jobs at the base but there were no plans to "decimate the workforce."

He said the company intended to turn Valley into "a world-class operation."

In October it was announced that 27 jobs under threat of being relocated to the south of England were safe.

Babcock's �65m five-year contract, with options for a further three years, will involve a full range of aircraft support services.

Renewed talks into the future of jobs at the base are scheduled for next month.