Hundreds of jobs under threat following local firms buy out

More than 300 jobs could be at risk at Chain Reaction Cycles in Co Antrim.

The company was bought earlier this year by rival 'Wiggle' in a £73m deal.

The compamny insist they're committed to Northern Ireland but have decided to concentrate warehouses in Wolverhampton.

152 staff and 161 agency posts are now at risk in Ballyclare, Doagh and Carrickfergus.

It's understood redundancies will take affect next summer.

The firm is considered the world's largest online bike retailer.

WiggleCRC said the consultation followed a post-merger review.

A statement read "For WiggleCRC to retain its position and remain competitive in the UK as well as increasingly global markets, we have concluded that this can be best achieved by concentrating the majority of our distribution through our warehouse facility in Wolverhampton," it said in a statement.

"This necessary step, will require the relocation of significant warehouse activities currently in Doagh, Carrickfergus and Ballyclare. As part of this proposal, bikes and frames, including bike assembly handling activities and our wheel build operation would remain in Ballyclare."

"Should the proposal go ahead, we would expect the relocation of stock and activities to commence in late summer 2017," the company added.