Hundreds of skilled jobs at GKN at risk after Leonardo Helicopters’ move to relocate jobs at its facilities

Hundreds of highly skilled manufacturing jobs producing Wildcat helicopters for the Royal Navy in Somerset could move offshore.

Italian company Leonardo Helicopters (formerly Finmeccanica), which manufactures the aircraft at its Yeovil plant, had told subcontractor GKN that it was taking the work back in house, a move, that could jeopardise 230 jobs at the company.

GKN operates its own plant in Yeovil, which produced parts for the Wildcats, and staff there, were told that their jobs were at risk on Friday.

GKN said in a statement that it had been informed by Leonardo that ''due changes in their demand for helicopters'' the Italian business would ''relocate all future Wildcat assembly and detail work away from the GKN facility… to one of its own facilities''.

The decision would mean the closure of GKN's plant at Yeovil. According to the company, an assessment of orders and costs meant that the operation ''is no longer a sustainable business and will have to be significantly downsized or fully closed''.

Leonardo, earlier known as Finmeccanica, and  AgustaWestland employed 3,200 staff including subcontractors at the Yeovil plant, making it one of the UK's largest aerospace manufacturing facilities.

Sources close to the situation had suggested Leonardo's decision was politically motivated as it sought to protect jobs in its home market, as GKN provided the work at competitive prices, The Telgraph reported online.

The union Unite termed it a "massive blow".

GKN had launched formal consultations with the unions regarding potential job losses in Yeovil.

GKN said in a statement that the move by Leonardo "puts at risk the long term viability of our Yeovil site".

GKN added, "Having completed a thorough assessment of the business, we have regrettably concluded that GKN Yeovil, as it stands today, is no longer a sustainable business and will have to be significantly downsized or fully closed.

"We will now enter a period of consultation with nominated employee representatives."