Jobs to go over media restructure

Trinity Mirror said it was a difficult decision to make

Job losses are expected at newspaper offices across the north west of England after Trinity Mirror announced plans to restructure.

It is estimated 30 posts will go in the shake-up, which was instigated to help face "challenging market conditions".

Various newspapers in Merseyside and Lancashire will be discontinued, with other titles closing district offices and one paper becoming a free sheet.

Some newspapers in North Wales will also be affected.

Under the shake-up Wirral News Group is to cut its editions from six to four.

The paid for Formby Times is to re-launch as a free title and both the free Midweek Advertiser in Ormskirk and the Huyton & Roby Star are to close.

Consultation process

The Abergele Visitor, Rhyl and Prestatyn Visitor and Your Vale are to be replaced with the launch of a new free title, the Denbighshire Visitor.

Over the next few months the group's Northwich and Whitchurch offices will shut leading to staff re-locating to Chester.

Both the Wirral News Group offices in Birkenhead and Ellesmere Port will also close with staff having to move to new premises at Bromborough, Wirral.

Taking the decision to make changes such as these is never easy. Sara Wilde, Trinity Mirror North West Regional Managing Director

The Frodsham office will also close with staff relocating to either Chester or Widnes and the group's offices in Crosby, Formby and Ormskirk are also due to close with affected employees moving to Southport.

The closure of the Rhyl office will result in staff moving to Llandudno Junction and the Flintshire BuySell paper is to close with the advertising integrated into the Chester and Flintshire Chronicles.

Sara Wilde, Trinity Mirror North West Regional Managing Director, said: "Taking the decision to make changes such as these is never easy.

"I believe these changes will strengthen the power of our products in their marketplaces and meet both the needs of advertisers' and readers' in the face of challenging market conditions."

Massive investment

A 30-day consultation process is currently under way with employees affected by the review.

The shake-up was announced just days after Trinity Mirror announced it was moving the printing of the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo to Oldham in Greater Manchester.

About 100 jobs are to be affected by the move at the end of next year.

Trinity Mirror is investing £7.5m to create the single production site in Oldham, with an extension to the new colour presses, which came on line in December 2007.