PLANS to close a Wrexham-based data firm have sparked an angry debate in the UK Parliament.

Up to 300 workers with Refinitiv based at Redwither Tower on the Wrexham Industrial Estate face losing their jobs with staff claiming some of their work is being moved to Bangalore in India.

The Welsh Government and Wrexham County Borough Council are to set up a taskforce to assist sacked workers find new employment.

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas says he wants the UK Government to take a dim view on "predatory takeovers" where jobs are farmed out overseas into cheaper labour markets.

He quizzed the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clarke during question time in the House of Commons, asking him whether "in the context of Brexit" there should be a reconsideration of the takeover laws that apply within the UK to outlaw similar job outsourcing.

The minister replied: "If we want to prosper as a country we need to engage with the world. We need to attract investment from all over the world.”

But Mr Lucas branded the Conservative politician's response "a dreadful’ answer which disregarded the plight of the Wrexham staff who will be left without jobs".

He says he has been liaising with local firms interested in employing Refinitiv workers who have helped the Wrexham site earn a reputation as a centre of excellence.

The business has been based in the town since 2012 and was previously known as Avox and Thomson Reuters. When the US-owned Blackstone Group took a majority share of the company it began trading as Refinitiv at the beginning of this month - and that was followed just a few days later by the news of the Wrexham office closure.

A 45-day consultation period is currently under way with the Unite union engaged in talks with local management, although no official closure has been announced yet.