A CALL centre in Melksham will close next year because bosses cannot afford to keep it open.

Managers have told 15 workers at the Kingsbury Square based Sarsen Call Centre to find new jobs before next spring.

The call centre, an emergency alarm service for 6,000 elderly and vulnerable people in the community, has been losing money because of stiff competition.

Although the Melksham branch will close, the service to existing customers will remain unaffected as work will be put out to tender within three months.

Chief executive Richard Kitson said it was regrettable the centre had to close.

"We have to recognise that other centres can provide high quality services for less cost. They achieve this by having greater volume of work," he said.

"We will be able to provide the same high quality of service for less cost to all our customers under these arrangements and that's why we have taken the difficult decision to transfer work elsewhere."

All customers have been sent a letter to explain the changes.

Sarsen staff took over the service in July 1998.