THIRTY people could lose their jobs at the Forensic Science Service laboratory in Chepstow this October.

The jobs belong to support staff at the agency, which analyses forensic samples for the police, and are among 229 planned to go at its seven laboratories in the UK - ten per cent of the workforce.

Trade union staff representing workers at FSS said they believed the redundancies, announced two weeks ago, were linked to yesterday's announcement that the FSS is to be partly privatised. But the Home Office denies that claim.

A spokesman for the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents the support staff, said: "The reason we've been given for the redundancies is that FSS recently lost a large proportion of the Metropolitan Police contract. We are sceptical about that, given that it coincides with this announcement on privatisation and that the profits of FSS doubled last year.

"The redundancies were announced a couple of weeks ago and will take effect from October this year.

"We'll get a clearer picture over the coming weeks. "Staff in the FSS face real uncertain times and are feeling a bit downhearted."

Mike Sparham, who is negotiating with the employers on behalf of PCS and its sister union Prospect, said: "We haven't got the final figures, but across the service 229 are expected to go. Within Chepstow laboratory, it would be in the order of about 30 or so."

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said the redundancies were nothing to do with yesterday's announcement.

She said: "It is understandable there are going to be anxieties over proposals to change employee status and any consequent threat to job security.

"However, as a private sector company, management would be expected to match rewards with performance.

"The Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employee (TUPE) regulations would ensure that the terms of employment of current staff would be protected.

"Given the forecast growth in forensic science, there is likely to be continuing good opportunities for the work force.

"Job security may be enhanced if the FSS is able to compete successfully and expand its markets at home and abroad."