More than 1,100 civilian staff working with the British army in the North will lose their jobs as the army presses ahead with its plans to reduce troop levels in the North to pre-Troubles garrison levels.
By the end of July next year the number of British military personnel stationed in the North will be reduced to "no more than 5,000", the army announced yesterday.
In August last year there were 10,000 troops in the North, while at the height of the Troubles in 1972 there were almost 27,000.
The British ministry of defence has gone further than its original demilitarisation plan by announcing the closure within two years of three additional bases: St Patrick's Barracks in Ballymena, headquarters of the Royal Irish Regiment; Shackleton Barracks in Ballykelly; and St Lucia in Omagh.
This will leave 11 bases in the North instead of 14 as originally planned.
British armed forces minister Adam Ingram said if the PSNI required future back-up this would be supplied by the army, although not necessarily by troops based in the North.
The normalisation will mean that the civilian workforce of 3,400 supporting the army will be reduced by some 1,500.
Mr Ingram said this would be partially offset by the creation of 340 new civilian posts, leading to a net reduction of some 1,160 civilian jobs.
"The department fully recognises the magnificent support to the military over the past 35 years by its civilian staff, and is committed to engaging and supporting them at every stage of this period of change," he added.
Sinn Féin and the SDLP welcomed the demilitarisation.
The DUP and Ulster Unionist Party said it was "premature" to announce closures and cuts in troop and civilian staff.
