More than 70 workers have been told they will lose their jobs when an engineering factory in Witney closes at the end of the year.

Employees at Crawford Collets were summoned to a meeting by managers to be given the news.

On Monday, October 14, he company confirmed that manufacturing was being moved from the town's Tower Hill works to Halifax, in West Yorkshire.

The factory, built on the site of a former workhouse, is one of the town's medium-sized employers. It makes collets for the machine tool industry and is part of the 600 Group of companies. News of the shutdown is another blow for the town after the recent closure of Early's blanket factory, in Burford Road, where 60 workers lost their jobs.

Crawford Collets chief executive Tony Sweeten said: "By transferring production from Witney to Halifax we will have greater economies of scale and will become a stronger player in the high-precision mechanical components and accessories market."

The firm, which moved to Witney during the Second World War from London, now has 77 workers.

One employee, who did not want to be named, said: "They called all the workforce together and just told us that the factory was having to shut down on December 31.

"The business here is being transferred to Halifax and we're all out of a job."

Some extra jobs are to created in Halifax and staff at Witney will be given the chance to apply for them.