More than 70 staff at Harwell and Culham started working for a new em- ployer this week, following the sale of their business.

The £75m sale of AEA Technology's consulting division to support services firm Serco was referred to the Office of Fair Trading amidst fears that the deal would leave Serco with no competitor in the field of nuclear safety work.

However, the OFT decided there were no grounds for holding up the deal under the merger provisions of the Fair Trading Act.

Serco, based in Sunbury-on-Thames, said the move would allow it to gain "real critical mass" in the science sector. Most of its 5,500-strong workforce works at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston. It also runs and operates the Government's National Physical Laboratory.

The consulting business provides technical and safety advice to the Ministry of Defence, BNFL, and British Energy. It has a workforce of 478, including 27 at Culham and 47 at Harwell.

It will now trade as Serco Assurance. All staff transferred under the same terms and conditions of employment, apart from the division's head, Phil Holden, who remains with AEA Technology.

Staff have already joined the Serco Intranet and will each have an individual interview with their new employer.

Serco chief executive Kevin Beeston said: "The completion of this transaction provides further evidence of Serco's commitment to a developing science and technology market sector.