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Up to 50 jobs are at risk in Belfast due to a decision by Prudential to relocate a contract to England, according to the Unite trade union.

Members of the union, who were employed by Capita to work on the contract, have been told Prudential is transferring the work to a firm based in Reading.

Kevin McAdam from Unite said the news has come as a "hammer blow" to staff.

He said Belfast staff were offered redeployment to Reading but added it was "neither realistic nor affordable".

"This decision effectively leaves up to 50 people in Belfast facing redundancy in the next few months," Mr McAdam said.

He added that the workers had remained "loyal" and "stayed on even after Prudential outsourced them in 2006 to Capita".

"This is a business that has been delivered for Prudential by the workforce here since the early 1980s and some of the current staff have over 30 years' service," the union representative said.

The contract for Prudential Assurance's life and pensions business will now be delivered by Diligenta.

The union called on Northern Ireland politicians to "step up" and "defend" Northern Ireland workers.