FEARS of major job losses at a Suffolk chemical company were put on hold today as management pledged to keep staff informed of changes.German health care and agricultural company, Bayer UK, which has a base in Bury St Edmunds and employs 50-100 people on the site, is in the throws of acquiring French chemical company Aventis.

FEARS of major job losses at a Suffolk chemical company were put on hold today as management pledged to keep staff informed of changes.

German health care and agricultural company, Bayer UK, which has a base in Bury St Edmunds and employs 50-100 people on the site, is in the throws of acquiring French chemical company Aventis.

The deal is not fully closed but is "likely" to go ahead and the crop protection businesses of the two global companies combined, a Bayer UK spokesman confirmed today.

News of the merger has left employees in Bury St Edmunds in fear of their jobs but the company today said it is too early to tell what changes will be made in the future.

"It's too early for the details. There could be some consolidation but there will be a lot of new opportunities as well," said the spokesman.

The combination of the two companies will be called Bayer CropScience > and will be the second largest crop company in the world.

The spokesman added: "We understand employees concerns. Information will be given just as soon as we have it ourselves."

However one employee, who did not wish to be named, feels that staff have been left in the dark and are concerned they might be asked to move to Newbury, Berkshire, where Bayer UK's head office is located.

"There is no information forthcoming," he said.

"Your life is in limbo. If the operation does move to Newbury where property is more expensive it is just not viable."