UNIONS were last night looking for guarantees on jobs after the UK's biggest brewer agreed to a £7.8bn takeover bid from European rivals Carlsberg and Heineken.

The deal will herald the break-up of Edinburgh-based Scottish & Newcastle, whose UK operation and 3,300 staff will pass to Dutch company Heineken.

Carlsberg will take on S&N's stake in BBH, their fast-growing 50/50 joint venture in Russia and the Baltics, and the firm's operations in France, Greece, China and Vietnam.

S&N employs 160 staff across the North-East, including at its Dunston, Gateshead, site, where the iconic Newcastle Brown Ale is brewed.

It moved production of Brown Ale from its famous Tyne Brewery to the nearby Federation Brewery in Gateshead in May 2005.

Iain MacLean, national officer of the Unite union, said: "It will result in a period of uncertainty for the workforce and we are primarily concerned about the implications for UK jobs.

"We have a meeting with Scottish & Newcastle next week and we will be looking for Carlsberg and Heineken to guarantee the security of our members' jobs."

Heineken would not comment on potential UK job losses.

The Dutch firm currently has no brewing operations in this country.

S&N - the world's seventh largest brewer by sales volume - also has plants in Manchester, Reading and Tadcaster, in North Yorkshire.

The company also owns the Bulmers cider mill in Hereford and has administrative staff in Edinburgh and Staines, Middlesex.

Yesterday's deal also raised concerns from the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) over consumer choice and the future of S&N's real ales such as John Smith's.

Camra chief executive Mike Benner warned: "The inevitable result of consolidation is brewery closures, brand losses and less choice for Britain's consumers."

Danish brewer Carlsberg and Heineken began their pursuit of the Foster's, John Smith's and Kronenbourg maker last October, and S&N's board finally accepted the pair's fourth offer for the business, worth 800p a share.

The deal will also net £218m for Blackpool Tower owner and leisure tycoon Trevor Hemmings, who sold holiday camp chain Pontins to S&N in 1989 in return for a stake in the brewer.

Mr Hemmings, who also owns 2005 Grand National winner Hedgehunter, bought Pontins back from S&N in 2000, but still holds a 2.8 per cent stake in the brewer.

FTSE 100-listed S&N can trace its history back more than 250 years to 1749. It has bought rival UK brewers in recent years - such as its acquisition of Courage in 1995 - and expanded overseas.

As well as taking on S&N's domestic business, Heineken will also cement its position as Europe's leading brewer, bolstering its position in Portugal, Ireland, Finland and Belgium.

S&N has previously accused Carlsberg and Heineken of trying to pick up the firm "on the cheap" during their threemonth takeover campaign.

But S&N chairman Sir Brian Stewart said: "The board believes that the consortium's offer delivers a fair value for S&N, reflecting its growth prospects."