The publishing group which produces several Gloucestershire newspapers looks set to cut 200 jobs, with more than 100 in editorial roles.

Reach Plc, which publishes the Citizen and Echo as well as the Western Daily Press, is entering a redundancy consultation process with more than 250 journalists, according to the website Hold the Front Page (HTFP).

The news comes as Reach saw its share price drop 30% after it warned on Wednesday that its annual operating profit would come in below market expectations.

In the last year the group, which also produces the Daily Mirror and Daily Express, has lost over 70% of its value as business conditions for newspaper groups, which rely heavily on advertising, deteriorated.

HTFP reported that Reach plc is planning to shed 200 jobs across its divisions due to what it has called "unprecedented cost and inflationary pressures".

It has now emerged that just over half - 102 - of the jobs set to be lost will be in editorial roles.

The National Union of Journalists says 253 editorial staff have been placed at risk of redundancy, meaning they will now have to compete for the roles which will remain at the end of the process.

The union has also claimed Reach had withdrawn more than 100 out of around 280 existing job vacancies.

The company has yet to confirm any further details on which areas of the business will be affected.

Reach NUJ national coordinator Chris Morley described the announcement of big job cuts as a "grim and unwelcome start to the new year".

A Reach spokesperson told HTFP that they expected the macroeconomic climate to remain challenging in 2023 and had therefore taken decisive action, putting a comprehensive cost reduction plan in place.