BARCLAYS will cut 800 management and support jobs as part of a restructuring plan that will see it recruit an extra 1,000 branch workers, it emerged last night.

The job losses form part of a move to get rid of duplication following the merger of three of the bank's UK divisions earlier this year.

A spokeswoman said last night that none of the job losses would be in the North-East, but some of the 1,000 jobs to be created may be in the region.

She said: "The jobs are more likely to go to our busiest branches, so there are likely to be some in the North-East. But we can't say exactly where yet."

Barclays said it hoped to reduce queuing time at its branches by taking on the 1,000 staff for frontline positions. It said some of the job losses would be met by leaving posts vacant, while the bank will also seek to redeploy as many staff as possible.

The savings, which are being carried out in consultation with staff union Unifi, will partly help Barclays to fund the recruitment of branch workers.

About 200 such posts have already been filled, with the rest expected to be in place by the end of the year. The shake-up follows the creation of one UK banking division, bringing together the company's three operations serving personal customers, businesses and customers with high incomes.

The company has more than 2,000 branches in the UK, with 26,000 people employed at offices, call centres and in the high street.

Last year, Barclays recorded group profits of £3.84bn - an increase of 20 per cent on a year earlier - of which about half came from the UK banking division. Chief executive of UK banking Roger Davis said the moves were part of a drive to improve customer satisfaction.

He said: "We all felt we needed to do more to get customers back in the focus of the business."

Barclays also said it would drive up starting salaries for cashiers, with a new recruit in central London expected to earn £14,000 a year, plus a bonus and other benefits. There will also be enhanced responsibility for managers at about 300 Barclays branches.