Consignia, better known as the UK Post Office, has said up to 30,000 jobs are to go over the next 18 months.

The company has said in the past that jobs will have to be cut as part of a �1.2bn cost cutting package, but this is the first time an indication of the number of jobs affected has been given.

The figure was given by Consignia's chief executive John Roberts as he spoke to the House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee.

Mr Roberts said he hoped most of the cuts would be made through a combination of natural wastage, voluntary redundancies and outsourcing of non-core tasks.

More soon.