Lloyds sheds more jobs in Brighton

Lloyds Banking Group has decided to shut down its contact centre at Sussex House in Brighton, with the loss of 410 telephony jobs. The site will close on 28 May next year, said the part-nationalised lender, which earlier this month axed 220 jobs at its Collections & Recoveries operation in Hove.More than 15,000 staff have now lost their jobs since the bank, 43%-owned by the taxpayer, took over rival HBOS in January.Last week, it confirmed that 570 jobs at the life, pensions and investments administration centre in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, will go as it switches roles to Edinburgh and Bristol.Another 200 workers are at risk because Equitable Life has decided to scrap its contract with Lloyds from March 2011. The work will be transferred to Indian outfit HCL, which only wants to keep 100 of the 340 Lloyds staff assigned to the Equitable job.Rob MacGregor, national officer at the Unite union said he was "astounded" and "alarmed" at today's decision.