Lib Dems regret Norwich Union job losses

9.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 14th Sep 2006

Commenting on the news that Aviva, the parent company to Norwich Union, has announced 4000 job losses, 850 of them in Norwich, Hereward Cooke, the Liberal Democrat Leader on Norwich City Council, said:

'This has come as a terrible shock to employees and to the whole City.

'Norwich Union has made an enormous contribution to Norwich over the years, but we must now seek urgent confirmation that they intend to remain here for the long term.

'We must also look at ways of ensuring that the impact of this restructuring on the employees and the wider City can be minimised.'