AS many as 100,000 UK call centre jobs could be lost by the end of 2008, according to a new report.

Key Note, a market intelligence company, said the trend of companies moving work to low-wage economies such as India would continue.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) last night described the findings as "depressing, but predictable."

Key Note discovered that the Indian call centre and business outsourcing market has shown substantial growth in the past two years and estimates the market will be worth $20bn (£12.6bn) by the end of this year.

Simon Taylor, of Key Note, said: "Our findings suggest that these trends are set to continue, and countries such as India have now become a world hub for call centres.

"Wages are a quarter of those in the UK, but staff have equivalent skills. Call-centre operators in India even been known to give staff mock American or British personas to try and convince call recipients and callers in the US or UK that they are speaking to a local person.

"Despite many jobs disappearing abroad, research has shown that consumers still prefer to speak to someone who is local, and additionally, there is public apprehension about the security and integrity of foreign-based call centres."

According to Key Note, the number of full-time posts in BT's UK call centres is expected to fall by more than 2,000 from 15,800 last year to 13,600 during next year.

A CWU spokesman said: "The report really confirms our worst fears."