Workington MP Sue Hayman is demanding a review of the plans to close the town's tax office. 

Mrs Hayman wants the proposals to shut the Lillyhall centre to undergo a detailed parliamentary scrutiny and has written to the Treasury.

She said: "What we need to know is how these proposals came about and what scrutiny they went through to make sure the services that the HMRC offers to the public will not suffer. 

"It's a false economy cuttling HMRC jobs when actually the one thing we should be doing is recovering the billions of pounds in unpaid tax."

Last week it was announced 137 HMRC offices were to be closed across the country and replaced by 13 regional centres. At Workington, 246 jobs are at risk.

The move has been justified by Government officials who say it "supports the Government’s commitment to building a ‘Northern Powerhouse’, with the north having around 40 per cent of HMRC staff located there by 2020-21.” 

Mark Fryer, Allerdale council's deputy leader, said: "It’s absolute tosh. The Northern Powerhouse stops at London. 

“It clearly doesn’t mean jobs for Cumbria. If anything, they should be trying to expand this service in Cumbria. 

“The staff in Workington have been loyal and they’ve done a fantastic job.

But unfortunately, this is about cuts to the system and we’re seen as being on the margins. It makes me angry. It’s just another knife through our heart again." 

Some HMRC offices in the North West will be transferred to the Department of Work and Pensions to support the roll out of Universal Credit.

Workington is not listed among them and staff there have been told that unspecified options are being considered and that they will be given details of those early next year. 

One of the workers at HMRC's Lillyhall centre, who did not wish to be named, said they and their colleagues are finding it difficult to look ahead knowing their jobs are seriously under threat. 

"The mood here is one of real anger and disappointment. 

"We feel as if we contributed massively to HMRC to try to help the customer, and we've all exceeded all of the targets set by the business for us as a centre. 

"It's just a real slap in the face that we're no longer part of the future."

The office in Lillyhall is not due to close until at least 2018.

The nearest regional centres to Cumbria would be in Newcastle and Manchester.