Unilever, which has an ice cream factory at Barnwood in Gloucester, has confirmed plans to cut around 1,500 jobs worldwide as part of a management restructure.

The consumer goods giant, which makes Marmite, Domestos and Walls Ice Cream among others, said the five per cent reduction in staff would not affect shopfloor jobs in factories.

Said to be one of the UK's biggest businesses by market-cap, the firm employs 6,000 in its UK and Ireland operations.

In a statement, Unilever said that the plans for re-organisation had been underway for several months.

The company will now consist of five distinct divisions: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream.

Alan Jope, chief executive of Unilever said: "Our new organisational model has been developed over the last year and is designed to continue the step-up we are seeing in the performance of our business.

"Moving to five category-focused business groups will enable us to be more responsive to consumer and channel trends, with crystal-clear accountability for delivery. Growth remains our top priority and these changes will underpin our pursuit of this."

Reports suggest that the move is a response to shareholders' concerns surrounding performance in the business and has followed the failed takeover of GlaxoSmithKline's consumer healthcare division. Unilever made three failed bids for the business, offering as much as £50bn.

Annual reports for the business are due on February 10.