WORRIED staff at a brickmaking firm were holding emergency meetings across the country last night over plans to close their pension scheme.

Thebrickbusiness is planning to swap employees' retirement plans for for another scheme.

Workers are concerned they will be left with smaller retirement funds if the proposal goes through.

Thebrickbusiness, which has its headquarters in Cheadle, Cheshire, employs 670 workers at 11 sites across the UK, including Todhills and Eldon Works, in County Durham. About 70 staff were due to meet in Bishop Auckland last night to discuss the proposed changes.

A number of companies have faced a backlash from employees after closing final salary schemes to newcomers.

But Thebrickbusiness is planning to go further by winding up its scheme altogether.

A spokesman for the company told The Northern Echo that efforts were being made to safeguard contributions already made to the scheme.

In order to do that, Steve Leddy, group communications manager, said the company was paying an estimated £750,000 each year.

He said: "This company is in the same boat as many other companies when it comes to pension funds.

"The final scheme is coming to an end. What the company is trying to do in its proposals is to safeguard the historic benefits people have accrued throughout the life of that scheme."

The company was formed a year ago out of the merger of two long-standing brickmaking companies; Ambion Brick and Chelwood Brick.