Established engineering company W Lucy and Co has told workers that a downturn in orders has forced it to cut jobs.

The company, based in north Oxford since 1812, said that up to 18 fortnightly-paid jobs and up to six monthly-paid positions would be lost with effect from December 16.

The company announced in April that 45 jobs would go at the firm's electrical division, based in Walton Well Road. It said then that half the jobs would go this autumn and the other half would go by April 2003.

Managing director Richard Dick told the Oxford Mail: "The situation has been slightly exacerbated by a downturn in business, but we are broadly on track and in line with the announcement."

So far this year 12 jobs at the division, which employs about 450 people have gone, of which two were compulsory.

Last year the division made 20 people redundant at its Oxford canalside Eagle Works headquarters. The company's castings division also closed its modern foundry in Thame in 2001 with 130 jobs lost.

W Lucy and Co plans to leave its historic north Oxford factory at the end of 2005 or the beginning of 2006, and is in detailed negotiations with Oxford City Council over the future development of the site.

Some of the company's electrical switchgear manufacturing, for Middle Eastern markets, is to be transferred to Lucy's existing factory in Dubai.

City planners granted outline planning permission for the redevelopment of the Eagle Works site in April last year for 146 flats, 22 homes and office space.