Water firm plans to cut 200 jobs

Wessex Water has outlined plans to reduce its workforce by up to 200 by the end of the year.

The firm hopes to achieve this through normal staff turnover and reviewing the use of contract and agency staff.

A spokesman said: "We have today begun consultation with employees and unions and will be looking at options of utilising employees in other areas."

The cuts will be in Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, most of Wiltshire, and parts of Gloucestershire and Hampshire.

The spokesman said: "The decision is a result of the current economic climate, the severe reduction in new development and the needs of the company's future investment programme.

"The greatest impact will be in Wessex Engineering and Construction Services."

Alan Morgan, head of human resources for the Bath-based company, added: "Unfortunately we are running out of work in some areas of our business.

"We will do everything we can to minimise the number of redundancies and have started a consultation process."