Members of staff working in IT at a council in the north of England are facing redundancy.

As many as 70 employees at Cheshire East Council could lose their positions as a result of a restructuring operation that is underway at the local authority.

A statement by the council said a ringfenced voluntary redundancy programme has already been introduced, reports the Sentinel.

Crewe South councillor Dorothy Flude added it is a "terrible" time for members of staff to learn they are facing redundancy, with Christmas a little over a month away.

"One has to ask the question, who will provide that service once these staff have left?" she noted.

This coincides with the news that ground staff at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport are considering a series of strikes as a result of redundancy measures being imposed at the location.

Members of the GMB trade union who work at Servisair, will stage a series of two-hour walkouts with the first taking place tomorrow (November 23rd), reports BBC News.