Dozens of jobs will be lost at a Swindon factory that produces medicines.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is cutting the size of its workforce at the Covingham base of the biotech company on Kingfisher Drive.

A source told the Adver that 128 roles are due to be made redundant by the end of August and that more than 20 temporary staff are due to leave by the end of this month.

The global science giant confirmed that jobs would be lost in response to a business review on current volume demands at the site, but did not confirm or deny the exact figures we provided.

Our source added: "Mood is low amongst the workforce as it is and staff are being offered 1.5 weeks per year of service, which is an insult.

"Redundancies are across the site with volunteers being sought first.

"I really thought Thermo Fisher was going to turn the Swindon site around, but it’s evident that so far they have not managed this."

Back in October 2021, Thermo Fisher announced a new agreement with Pfizer to produce and bottle Covid vaccines at the Swindon site which would turn it into a worldwide production hub for the lifesaving medicine.

This marked the first time that a coronavirus vaccine would be made in the UK and was expected to create 200 jobs ahead of production beginning in 2022.

At the time, it was reported that Thermo Fisher would invest £70 million into its Swindon site to get it ready for the new commitments, with the expansion including two new manufacturing lines and ultra-cold storage. 

But less than two years on, many employees now face redundancy.

The American business supplies scientific instrumentation, reagents, consumables, and software services

A Thermo Fisher spokesperson said: "Thermo Fisher Scientific continuously evaluates its global operations to identify opportunities to help us become a more agile provider and better serve our customers’ needs.

"In alignment with this ongoing effort, we have made the decision to propose the adjustment of staffing levels at our Swindon, U.K. site.

"Further information regarding this proposal will be available once all consultation processes are completed.

"Decisions that may impact colleagues and their families are never taken lightly. However, these proposed actions are designed to better help us serve our customers, strengthen our global competitive position, and provide long-term growth and success of our organization."