Posts within the TA face the chop

Many of the soldiers might move and train in different departments

Part-time soldiers across the country face an uncertain future as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans a major shake-up of the Territorial Army.

Up to 2,400 Royal Signal posts stand to be cut, with soldiers facing redundancy or redeployment.

An MoD spokesman for the North West said that four units in Huyton, Rusholme, Aintree and Runcorn could go.

Soldiers in the North East, Staffordshire. the Midlands and Yorkshire will also be affected.

Units in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Newcastle, Leeds, Darlington, Birmingham, Hull, Coventry, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Shrewsbury and Rugby have been earmarked for closure.

THE TERRITORIAL ARMY The TA is the largest of all the reserve forces It was officially formed on 1 April 1908 About 35,000 men and women currently serve in the TA Reservists were first engaged in active service during World War I Some 6,900 TA personnel were mobilised for the invasion of Iraq The TA provides around 1,200 troops each year in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans Source: MoD

Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth said Headquarters 12 Signals Group and 33, 34 and 35 Signals Regiments would be affected.

He said: "It makes sense to reallocate resources from these posts to higher defence priorities.

"This decision has not been taken lightly and we are very aware of the exceptional contribution made by the Royal Signals within the TA."

An MoD spokesman for the North West said: "Up to 300 soldiers could be affected in the North West, but we do not want to close the units forever or lose the soldiers.

"We are hoping they will move to other bases and train up in different skills; we have the capacity to accommodate them, but nothing definite has been decided."

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