Trowbridge has been hit by a double whammy of job losses as Virgin Media announced on Wednesday it is closing its offices in the town with the loss of 450 jobs.

The shock news came just three weeks after fellow mobile phone giant Vodafone announced it was closing its neighbouring premises on the White Horse Business Park and 200 employees faced redundancy.

One employee said: “We knew we were going in for a meeting but it wasn’t officially announced until about 20 minutes beforehand.

“Some people were really shocked and crying and didn’t know it was coming whereas others expected it.

“The way that they have treated us is awful so I’m glad to get out.”

Mike Williams, chief executive of Wessex Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is dreadful news for the town. It is only some three weeks ago that we had the announcement of the closure of Vodafone and now we are hit with another major blow with Virgin Media closing in 18 months with hundreds of jobs going.”

Andy Kerr, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “This is a disaster for Virgin Media staff at Trowbridge and for the whole area. Coming on the back of the Vodafone decision to pull out of Trowbridge, the local economy will be hit hard by this redundancy double whammy.

“We’re asking Virgin Media to make redeployment and relocation packages a realistic option for staff who may be interested, not a token tick box exercise.

“The sad fact is that there will not be an option to stay in Trowbridge and work for Virgin Media as other sites are not within commuting distance and relocation remains an unrealistic option.”

A Virgin Media spokesperson said: “As a result of these changes we will be exiting our Trowbridge office in a series of planned phases over the next 18 months, with a proposed site closure in December 2012. “There are around 450 people affected by this announcement, all of whom will be offered the option to relocate or redeploy to roles within the UK. “We know this may be a difficult message for our staff so we are committed to communicating as early and openly as possible with all affected employees. “With a long lead-time for changes, we will be working closely with all teams throughout the upcoming consultation period to help our staff best manage any decisions about their futures.” Virgin Media says the reason behind the branch closure is that it is a final stage ‘of the integration of Virgin Mobile into Virgin Media’. Mr Williams is worried the town will lose more than just jobs when the firm closes. He said: “They were very supportive of local projects and generous in the town. “At its peak Virgin employed 1,500 people, they were a significant employer in the town and brought a lot of money into the economy.” CWU is offering members advice throughout the 90-day consultation process which will start later this month.