More than 250 jobs were today under serious threat in a double blow to Northern Ireland’s beleaguered textiles industry.

Lycra-maker DuPont is to cut 3,500 jobs across the world as part of a major cost-cutting drive, it announced today.

Number two US chemical maker, DuPont, said it is planning to announce layoffs on April 27, 2004, the day it releases its fourth-quarter results, as part of an overall plan to trim $900m (€749.53m) in costs by 2005.