A BLOOD management company has announced proposals to close a plant, affecting up to 270 jobs.

Haemonetics has begun a 45 day consultation period with employees at its facility in Bothwell, South Lanarkshire. It said that much of the market for products made in Bothwell is shifting to the Asia/Pacific region.

The company said the proposal to close the plant in Scotland is to do with its emerging customer base in the Far East.

Gerry Gould, Vice President of Investor Relations at Haemonetics, said there was no time scale as yet for when the plant might close.