ENGINEERING firm Brook Crompton is to axe 22 jobs in Huddersfield.

The electric motors maker said the redundancies were needed to help it achieve profitability and revenue growth in the UK.

Managing director Graham Harries called the job cuts "regrettable", but said they would leave the company in better shape to compete in the UK and in markets worldwide.

Most of the redundancies are at management level.

Following the job cuts, there will be 52 staff at the firm's UK headquarters in St Thomas's Road, Folly Hall.

It is a far cry from the days when more than 2,000 were employed by the firm - formerly known as Brook Motors - at factories in Folly Hall, Honley and Barnsley.

Mr Harries said the company had almost completed a five-year plan to shake up its operations.

He added: "The company has had to make tough decisions to reshape itself for the ruthlessly competitive global market for industrial motors. The transition is nearing completion.

"Good progress is being made in restructuring and revenue growth. But to achieve profitability in the UK it has been necessary to re-size the organisation."

He went on: "Britain has found it impossible to sustain its manufacturing sector over the past 30 years, with millions of jobs lost to low-cost economies overseas.

"Brook Crompton bucked this trend until 2002, when it located its main manufacturing to Poland.

"It still retains engineering control in Huddersfield, together with sales, administration and logistics functions. It also continues to operate a special motors production plant at Blackheath in the Midlands."

Mr Harries said there was still strong demand in the UK for electric motors - and the Brook Crompton brand continued to carry great weight with customers.

He said the firm was confident of building its UK business.

In 2002, Brook Crompton switched its main manufacturing operations to Poland - with the loss of more than 400 jobs - following the company's £17m takeover by Singapore-based electric motors company Lindevetes- Jacoberg.

But Mr Harries said prospects had brightened with industrial business ATB, part of Austrian-based A-Tec Industries, taking a majority stake in Lindevetes-Jacoberg.

He said: "Our overseas competitors are beginning to look much weaker as their access to cheaper materials and government support is drying up, making it difficult for them to sustain their worldwide operations.

"We, on the other hand, have reshaped our entire business and have a new majority shareholder in ATB, who is extremely strong in central Europe."