Courtaulds announced it is halting work at its Limavady plant in Co Derry, which makes underwear for Marks & Spencer, with the loss of 185 jobs. With intense competition driving prices down, Courtaulds said it had to examine every possible way of cutting costs. Operations Director Derek Laing said: ‘The cutting, sewing, and support processes performed at the Limavady facility are no longer cost competitive. It is for this reason we have proposed to cease these manufacturing processes within the next four months.’ As the company began a 90-day consultation period, staff were told about the threat and given the day off. Although 160 of its staff in Limavady work in manufacturing, the other 25 work in testing and product development. One option could be to offer employees an opportunity to relocate to sites in England, although many may find any such proposal unattractive.