Sixty-nine jobs have been lost at an Antrim engineering firm.

The redundancies were announced today by Newtownabbey-based Schlumberger.

The firm produces equipment for the oil industry at its factory in Mallusk.

Declining oilfield sector activity has been blamed for the cut backs by the firm, which currently employs around 300 people.

According to a Schlumberger spokesperson, staff were made aware of the redundancy plans late last month.

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He added that the job losses would come into affect in September.

The news follows the closure of east Belfast engineering firm Central Services Group last week.

Established in 1994, Central Group Services was one of the Province's top providers of mechanical and electrical supplies.

According to its website, the firm specialised in air conditioning, boiler maintenance and heating installation.

Central Group Services carried out contracts across all sectors of the economy - commercial, industrial and domestic.

Stormont Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey said a number of employees from the Dee Street plant are being offered places with another locally-based company in the same line of business.

(PR/KMcA)