THE headquarters of troubled car parts firm Visteon has moved from south Essex to smaller offices in Chelmsford.

The former Visteon Engineering Services building, in Endeavour Drive, Basildon, was empty by yesterday lunchtime.

It is understood all 370 staff who worked there have been moved to smaller offices in a Chelmsford Business Park.

Ian Hutcheon, 50, who lost his job in March through the closure of the Visteon factory, in Christopher Martin Road, Basildon, was part of a group of former workers who protested over their diminished pension scheme outside the new Chelmsford office yesterday.

He said: “Visteon may have moved to a new office, but we still hold them accountable for old crimes against our pensions.”

Bob Swanston, managing director of Visteon Engineering Services, said the move to Chelmsford was necessary because the Basildon office was too large.

He said: “We had excess capacity at our previous offices and the Chelmsford location enables us to maintain our base in South East Essex.”