More than 300 jobs are to be cut from the Birds Eye Wall's factory at Gloucester.

The company announced 320 jobs would be shed over the next 12 months as part of a "restructuring programme" aimed at lowering costs.

The company's chairman, James Hill, said: "We regret that these plans will result in job losses.

"We will be working closely with the local union representatives and individual employees to resolve these challenges in a sensitive manner.

Wall's at Gloucester

773 factory employees Operated since 1960 Produces 14 ice creams, including Cornetto and Magnum

"My heart goes out to the people who are going to lose their jobs."

The changes - part of a plan to cut costs by up to �12m a year - involve producing fewer ice cream products and moving from seven-day to five-day working week.

About 770 people are currently employed at the firm's ice cream manufacturing business at Gloucester.

In line with its commitments to trade unions, Birds Eye Wall's vowed there would be no compulsory redundancies before September 2003, except by agreement.

Ice cream production will be reduced

"Those who leave the business will be offered a severance package well in excess of the statutory minimum," Mr Hill said.

Under the restructuring, Twister and Romantica ice creams will no longer be produced.

Volumes of some other ice creams, including the Magnum and Cornetto range, would be reduced.

Bird's Eye Wall's, part of the Unilever conglomerate, employs 4000 people across the UK at locations including Grimsby, Hull and Lowestoft.