Profits and sales at Belfast aerospace company Shorts fell last year, according to the latest figures.

The company has blamed the fall on the aftermath of 11 September and the slowdown in the world economy.

While profits at Northern Ireland's biggest company dipped only slightly at �55m in the year to January, sales were down by 10% at �450m.

During the last year, Shorts has cut its workforce by about 1,000.

In a statement on Thursday, the firm said the job losses were "regrettable but that it was in a good position to take advantage of any upturn in the market".

Shorts Canadian parent company Bombardier has relatively healthy order books.

In July, Bombardier announced it was building part of its new corporate jet at Shorts.

Decades

The plane, the Learjet 40, was designed to carry four passengers more than 1,800 miles.

Its fuselage is being built alongside that of the bigger Learjet 45 which is also constructed at the east Belfast factory.

The new plane will result in up to 400 jobs in Belfast although that figure is not expected to be reached until the jet reaches full production.

The round of job cuts at Shorts was one of the biggest single losses of jobs in Northern Ireland in decades.

The company had a workforce of 6,500 before the latest posts were axed.