Lloyds TSB will offshore up to 445 UK IT positions to low cost Indian locations by the end of the year.

The deal, the details of which have not been formally announced, will see Lloyds TSB offshore 250 permanent staff and up to another 195 contractors and temporary staff from their IT function.

The decision has not gone unnoticed by unions with Unite issuing a statement stating that: ‘the decision by Lloyds TSB…is unjustified and represents a lack of faith in the IT skills of their UK workforce’.

The Union believes that the decision will affect IT workers at various UK locations including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, Haywards Heath, Gloucester, Andover, Edinburgh and Brighton.

John Bancroft, Unite Official said: "Unite the union is disappointed by the offshoring announcement today by LTSB to go ahead with the transfer. We do not believe that the business case for this decision has been made; we are challenging the bank to consider alternative options."