150 jobs are at risk at a pharmaceuticals company which is set to close its Bolton base.

Staff at Catalent on the Wingates Industrial Estate in Westhoughton were told last Thursday that the clinical services site will shut in 2021 and a consultation period on employees’ roles will start.

The international company says the 'regrettable' move comes amid concerns raised by their customers about trading with the UK after Brexit.

Britain officially leaves the EU on January 1.

Catalent also has a larger clinical services site in Bathgate in West Lothian, Scotland.

UK marketing director Chris Halling said: “Many of our customers want the surety of trading within EU member states.

“They look at tax, trade and the regulatory status of clinical supplies and what could happen with Brexit. We do not think there is sufficient demand to keep open two sites in the UK.

“We will start the withdrawal process in the new year which will take up to nine months.”

Mr Halling said although the site will close, some jobs will be saved with employees asked to work from home.

He said: “We will try to redeploy as many roles as possible and we will look to help staff find other jobs.

“It is never a nice thing to have to do and it is a regrettable time.”

Union representatives say they are working with staff.

Andrew Johnson, regional officer at Unite, said: “We are holding a consultation meeting with the site management team of Catalent on Thursday to discuss the proposal to close the site, which employs about 180 staff.

“We understand this announcement has been spurred by the impact of Brexit on the company and its clients.

“This is very worrying news for our nearly 80 members, who work from the site, and their families in the run-up to Christmas and Unite will be supporting our members to the maximum extent during this period. It is also grim news for the wider Bolton economy.

“Unite will be able to comment further after the meeting when we will be making the case very strongly to retain this profitable site with these highly qualified jobs as a going concern in Bolton.”