Health club company Esporta is cutting 100 jobs after it dipped into the red last year.

Esporta, which has 37 fitness centres in the UK, said it also plans to vary joining fees, sell adverts in its gyms and outsource the running of its refreshment bars.

It hopes the review will help it to save up to �4.2m annually.

The 100 job cuts, most of which have taken place this month, will be spread across the Wokingham-based group's operations, leaving a staff of 2,500.

Chief executive Maurice Kelly, who began the review on taking over in January, said the group had to "put right what has gone wrong."

"I want a business that is more focused on sales and one that is better at converting sales into profit," he said.

"Half the people we show around our clubs choose to become a member and the business has been weak at going out and inviting people to come and take a tour."

Managers have now been given responsibility for recruiting members at their gyms and will be able to alter joining fees accordingly.

A fall in new joiner numbers in the second half of 2001, and losses at each of the nine new clubs opened in the UK hit Esporta's profits last year.

Before one-off costs, operating profits fell to �8.5m from �13.5m in 2000.