A Ministry of Defence office on the outskirts of Bicester is earmarked for closure with the loss of up to 200 jobs, union officials warned yesterday.

Richard Kelsall, secretary of the Bicester branch of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said senior union officials had seen internal MoD documents outlining plans to move the work carried out at the Defence Logistics Organisation site in Caversfield to Bristol.

He said: "We know that Caversfield is expected to close. Senior managers will be asked to go to Bristol, but others will lose their jobs."

Mr Kelsall spoke as hundreds of MoD employees in Bicester voted in a national ballot on supporting future industrial action over job cuts, privatisation and reorganisation.

In a statement, the MoD said it had bought land next to its offices at Filton, Bristol.

It added: "This acquisition is a long-term investment that greatly increases the quality of the options being examined. Final decisions have not yet been taken on the future of individual sites. Final decisions are not expected to be made until mid-2006."

It said the feasibility of moving work to Bristol had been under scrutiny since 2003, but depended on whether there was enough accommodation there.