Nine hundred jobs are set to be lost as a major bank closes its Scottish operation of a credit card company it bought only months ago.

Barclays told it staff at its Goldfish call centre in Cumbernauld yesterday about its plans to close the facility and transfer work to three centres in England.

The news is a further blow to the Lanarkshire economy, just weeks after electrical firm JVC announced it was closing its East Kilbride television manufacturing plant with the loss of 300 jobs, and transferring to eastern Europe.

Barclays took over the Goldfish credit card business from Discover Financial Services earlier this year for £35m, and now plans to incorporate the business within its own existing infrastructure.

The call centre has been a major employer in the Cumbernauld area, since Morgan Stanley first opened in 1999 with 600 staff eventually growing to 900.

Workers, who were given 90 days notice of possible redundancy, left the centre at lunchtime yesterday after a warning from management not to speak to the press. Security personnel were on hand under instructions to discourage staff from discussing the plans.

Two workers, who asked to remain anonymous, however, wanted to talk about staff feelings over the announcement.

One said: "We have been treated very badly. We were told at first there would be no takeover, then once it happened we had no information until today. We even had some new starts on Monday, and now they will be out of a job.

"No-one is thinking about relocating. The other centres are all too far away. People have families and their lives here. I think they know people won't be able to take a move."

The alternative offices are in Merseyside, Teeside and Northamptonshire.

Discussions with politicians have already begun in an attempt to minimise the impact on the area.

Enterprise Minister Jim Mather, said: "Both the First Minister and I have been in contact with company and officials have been actively exploring all possible avenues of assistance to allow Barclaycard to continue its presence in Cumbernauld.

"This is a custom-built, state-of -art contact centre and a high-quality workforce. If the final decision is closure, the Scottish Government and Scottish Development International will actively market the facility to look for alternative owners to take it over as a going concern."

Cathie Craigie, MSP for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, said: "Barclaycard's proposals are a major blow to employees and their families in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, and the surrounding area.

"I will be doing everything I can as the local MSP to protect jobs."

A Barclays spokesman said the company thought no-one would be out of a job as a result of the closure plan. He said: "We are confident that we will be able to find a job for everyone if the proposals are accepted, either by relocation to Barclaycard in England, or through Barclays Bank in Scotland or with the help of the Scottish Government, with other local employers."

Jim McCabe, leader of North Lanarkshire Council said: "I am bitterly disappointed in the lack of loyalty that Barclaycard has shown to the Scottish workforce and I would not be surprised if the people of Scotland were to react negatively towards that organisation.

"We will work with the company management to provide the best support and advice to those who may be made redundant. This support can lead either to alternative employment or to re-training."