More than 500 banking jobs were under threat after Lloyds TSB detailed plans to close back office processing operations at five UK locations.

The group has told staff at London, Tonbridge, Chorley, Newton Aycliffe and Glasgow that work will be transferred to larger sites in the UK, including Andover, Birmingham and Gillingham.

A total of 566 posts are affected, but Lloyds said it will look to redeploy many of the jobs ahead of the closures planned for the end of the year.

However, it drew criticism from its staff union after an additional 105 roles were moved offshore to India, where it currently has a 2,000 strong workforce.

Ninety jobs will go from Andover but Lloyds said this would be offset by the transfer of work from the sites being closed in the UK.

The company expects new work to result in another 200 jobs being created in India this year – meaning 450 new offshored posts in group operations in 2006.

The Lloyds TSB Group Union vowed to step up its lobbying efforts in an attempt to stop Lloyds transferring work to India.

( http://breakingnews.iol.ie)