Company, which has a base at Lingfield Point, the subject of a £2.2bn takeover bid from Wood Group

Amec Foster Wheeler, one of Darlington’s largest employers, was earlier this week targeted by rival Wood Group in £2.2bn takeover.

The move has fuelled fears over roles at Amec’s County Durham base, with bosses saying a third of savings are expected to come from office closures and cuts to duplicate IT systems and central support services.

An Amec spokesman last night said the company was unable to comment further on the situation, though The Northern Echo is aware of worker claims that a number of staff have been released over previous weeks.

The Echo also understands that while it remains too early for any firm decisions on changes, initial talks have taken place with staff to outline the takeover proposals, with projects planned to continue over the coming weeks.

Amec’s Darlington site, on Lingfield Point, employs hundreds of people and has experience of managing recruitment and support services, such as payroll work.

The agreement, which shareholders will vote on later this year, comes just weeks after the Echo revealed up to 45 Amec posts were at risk of being moved from Darlington to India in a restructure aimed at reducing the business’ £1bn debt pile.

Amec, which has a further office in Newcastle, expanded in 2014 when it took on Foster Wheeler to target greater oil and gas work but has suffered from the fall in oil prices and weakness in the offshore sector.

Latest results, released on Monday, show those difficulties have prevailed, with trading profit down from £374m in 2015 to £318m last year, though officials say a number of new contracts, which provide welcome confidence, have yet to be fully absorbed into its financial sheet.

John Connolly, Amec Foster Wheeler chairman, said Wood Group’s offer gives scope to continue reversing its fortunes.

He said: “The board believes a combination with Wood adds to the standalone prospects of the company and helps to realise the full potential of Amec Foster Wheeler and Wood.”

A spokesman for Wood Group, which manages operations at the Central Area Transmission System gas terminal, in Seal Sands, said it couldn’t comment on potential job losses.

However, Ian Marchant, chairman of Wood Group, which previously took on Gateshead coatings company Pyeroy, said the enlarged company will be more nimble across the energy sector.

He added: “It will create a business of greater scale and enhanced capability, diversified across the oil and gas, chemicals, renewables, environment and infrastructure and mining segments.”