ONE of the UK's largest financial firms has admitted more than 90 Glasgow jobs are at risk.

It comes hours after Capita Group announced it would be taking on a group of young trainees and paying them from the public purse.

The firm yesterday said it would provide jobs to a fresh intake of adult learners as part of the Scottish Government's flagship modern apprenticeship scheme.

First Minister Alex Salmond had earlier announced news of 460 apprentices being taken on in the financial services sector during a visit to Capita's Glasgow offices.

However, union leaders denounced the move as "smacking of hypocrisy", and accused the company of "using taxpayers' money to fund jobs on the cheap".

More than 200 jobs have already been "offshored" to India, Unite said, and up to 200 more are set to go.

Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer, said: "There are around 300 people in Capita's St Vincent Street office at risk of redundancy where hundreds of jobs have already gone.

"Capita is simply using taxpayers' money, in the form of modern apprenticeships, to subsidise staff costs while making other staff redundant."

A spokeswoman for Capita said: "I can confirm we have put a number of roles in Glasgow at risk. These include around 90 roles in IT."

After meeting with Unite representatives, Mr Salmond said he would could not get involved in industrial disputes directly, but would encourage managers to avoid redundancy wherever possible.