Babycare and household products group Mayborn is cutting up to 98 jobs as it moves part of its manufacturing base to China.

The group said it would move certain manufacturing processes within its baby products division to purpose-built premises in Guangdong, China.

The move was being made in the context of increasing competition from firms benefiting from low-cost production in the Far East.

The group said: "Regrettably, up to 98 jobs are expected to be lost and a 30-day employee consultation period has commenced."

It said its UK site at Cramlington, Northumberland, would continue to be an innovation and technical development centre for the baby products division.

The move is a second blow for the firm's UK division, which makes products such as baby bowls, teats and teethers.

Last year Mayborn made 220 staff redundant when it moved another part of its production abroad.

About 160 staff will remain in the UK following the cuts, of whom only 20 will be in manufacturing.

The group also employs 70 staff at its Sangenic nappy disposal product division in Mansfield, Nottingham-shire.

In total, south London-based Mayborn will employ about 410 staff in the UK following the redundancies.

This includes 180 people in its Dylon fabric dye division.

Overseas, it employs about 600 staff in China, 30 in Hong Kong and eight sales staff in the United States.

Finance director Ian Hartley said: "We regret doing it but we have tried everything else. It is a lot cheaper in China. All the labour costs are cheaper as well as the overheads."