MORE than 200 workers are losing their jobs as Biomet begins moving the company out of the town.

Biomet, a global supplier of orthopaedic devices, based in Murdock Road, Dorcan, announced in 2011 that it was proposing to focus all its production at its site in Bridgend, Wales.

The closure date was expected to be March next year, but 91 staff have already been made redundant, with a further 140 expected to follow by the end of the year.

The firm said the move was a response to increasing global economic pressures and a need to deliver cost-effective product solutions.

Biomet is consolidating its UK manufacturing operations by ceasing manufacturing at its facility in Swindon and focusing all UK production at Bridgend.

Les Murray, human resources director, said: “Biomet UK Ltd announced that the Swindon manufacturing plant would close back in December 2011.

“The estimated closure date at that time was March 2014. 230 employees were affected by this decision and some 50 were not and will remain in Swindon offices.

“To date, some 91 team members have left our employment, many of them at their request on finding jobs and with full redundancy payments. At the end of this month, a further 49 team members are scheduled to leave, with a further 38 leaving in July.

“This will leave us with 46 remaining manufacturing employees still working. Some six employees have or are going to relocate and keep working for Biomet in Bridgend.

“The transfer of work will be complete by the end of this calendar year which is ahead of our original schedule and reflects excellent cooperation and successful working in both Bridgend and Swindon.

“There has been a management reorganisation within the UK which is now predominantly based in Bridgend but this had no direct link to performance regarding the Swindon plant closure.”

The move though has not been without its glitches, according to some former workers, and is another blow to the economy on the back of more than 500 jobs lost at Honda earlier this year.

Former employee Nick Bonham said: “The factory is being closed down because all the work, they said, could be done in Bridgend.

“I think they have made a mistake because they thought the work could be done but they didn’t understand how much work was done in Swindon. I think they have struggled.

“It is another big blow for the Swindon economy.”