Jobs under threat at gaming firms

Up to 75 people employed at two Nottinghamshire gaming companies could be made redundant.

About 50 jobs are under threat at Bell-Fruit in Nottingham - where 282 people are employed.

Its subsidiary company Mazooma Games, based in Newark, could lose 25 of its 42 posts.

Bell-Fruit's managing director John Austin said the firm was doing all it could to minimise job losses but had been forced to look at restructuring.

He said: "Sixty-five to 70% of the machines we produce are aimed at the pub market and [that's] in massive decline, with up to 40 pubs a week closing.

"Certainly the smoking ban has contributed towards it, as has, of course, the availability of cheap booze in the supermarkets."