UNCERTAINTY over the future of the Safeway supermarket chain has cost 18 jobs in Sheerness.

Bond Group, a refrigerator repair and distribution business, laid off the casuals during a lull in business triggered by the fierce six-way battle for ownership of Britain’s fourth largest grocer.

The company, based in New Road, Sheerness, is the biggest refrigerator refurbishment firm in the country. A third of its business was with Safeway which is now the subject of a bidding war between Morrison, Tesco, Sainsbury, Wal-Mart (owner of Asda), Philip Green (owner of Bhs and Arcadia), and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, an investment company.

Managing director Chris Woollett said: "It could drag on, or something could happen tomorrow. We take on casuals because we are very a business that is up and down."