AXA is to sell the new business rights to its personal lines direct insurance business to RAC plc, in a deal marking the conclusion of the joint venture - RAC Insure - established by AXA and RAC in 2002.

The RAC has given assurance there will be no redundancies and that it intends to develop the business. There will be a three-week consultation period from September 17 to October 8, with the formal transfer to the RAC on October 11.

Elements of AXA Direct, which were outsourced to Pune in India, will revert back to the UK once the RAC have officially taken over.

The two AXA sites involved, in Morecambe and Darlington, have almost 500 staff between them. All staff (except claims and site services staff at Morecambe) will transfer to the RAC.