Nine jobs to go at Foyle Meats

It was initially feared that 85 positions at the Campsie processing facility could be lost.

But the Unite union said that just nine workers face redundancy.

Gareth Scott of Unite said the union has worked diligently to secure this outcome.

"Although saddened that nine members are to lose their jobs the union has helped secure employment for the remainder of those who were in danger of being made compulsory redundant," he said.

In June, the Foyle Group blamed a sharp a decline in sheep production and said with falling throughput it could "no longer justify the slaughter and processing of lambs at its Foyle Meats plant and so will shortly close its lamb facility".

A statement from the company said that between 2007 and 2009, the total number of lambs processed in Northern Ireland fell by 29 per cent. There has been a further reduction of 25 per cent since the start of 2010.

Foyle Meats is part of the Foyle Food Group, which also owns Omagh Meats, Donegal Meat, Foyle Proteins and Hilton Meats. It employs more than 750 people, with 260 working at Foyle Meats.