Call centre staff at Alliance & Leicester in Ashford woke up without work this morning after their jobs were relocated up north.

The centre, at the bank's Park Street office block, deals with current accounts and savings.

It closed yesterday with the loss of 128 jobs after having been based in the town for the last 25 years.

The work is being transferred to centres in Merseyside and Leicestershire.

Communications Workers Union rep Terry Jackson said: "They are all very sorry to be seeing each other for the last time and their fellow workers are not going to be seeing them again.

"It's a very sad day and I wish them all well for the future. This really isn't the time for anyone to be losing their jobs."