OLYMPIC team supplier Simon Jersey has confirmed consultations have begun over relocating more jobs out of East Lancashire.

Bosses are understood to be talking to staff over shifting a number of positions from their Altham headquarters to their base in Stockport.

But management at the company, which supplied formal wear for the 2016 Rio games, have refused to detail how many posts are affected as a result of the negotiations.

The Hyndburn firm moved 40 jobs from its Syke Side Drive offices last spring - but insisted that it was strengthening warehousing and logistics functions at Altham.

Back then just under 100 were employed - though 50 more openings were envisaged by the end of 2018.

A further announcement on jobs at Simon Jersey, which was one of the first tenants of the Altham Business Park, has raised concerns about the future of the firm in Hyndburn.

Rennie Pinder, chairman of Altham Parish Council, said: “We don’t like to see any jobs relocating out of Hyndburn.

“We are very proud of Simon Jersey - it’s a well-managed company which like Wham exports all over the world.

“It is a lovely place to work, in the shadow of Pendle Hill, and is well-serviced by motorways,

“I feel sorry for any staff who might be faced with having to move there or relocate.”

Cllr Pinder believes that Hyndburn Council and the parish council had been “very supportive” of Simon Jersey in the past.

He also questioned the merits of moving part of their operations to Stockport, which he knows suffers from congestion problems at peak times.

A spokesman for Simon Jersey, when contacted by the Lancashire Telegraph, refused to confirm the number of employees potentially affected, as the decision was still out for consultation.

The company provided the formal wear for athletes at the Rio games, for Team GB.

And they were also contracted to supply red, white and blue uniforms to the national squad for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

But its business also includes offering uniforms and workwear across a series of professional disciplines.