NEWSPAPERS group Trinity Mirror has started announcing redundancies across its regional papers as part of a cost-cutting drive, it emerged yesterday.

While the group would not disclose exactly how many cutbacks it was making in the North-East until consultation with staff is complete, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has said that there would be 15 to 20 redundancies across Trinity's newspapers in Newcastle, which include the Evening Chronicle, Sunday Sun and The Journal. That number represents about 3.5 per cent of the workforce.

There are also believed to be 18 redundancies at the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette. Staff are being asked for voluntary redundancies first, then compulsory redundancies will be announced.

The NUJ, which has already held a vote of no confidence in Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey, said it would take all possible measures to oppose the cuts.

Regional organiser Miles Barter told The Guardian: "We think Trinity Mirror staff are already overstretched.

"Journalists regularly work over their contracted hours. The company made huge profits last year and we just don't think cuts are necessary."

A spokesman for Trinity Mirror North-East said: "In view of the challenging economic conditions facing all media companies, Newcastle Chronicle & Journal and the Gazette Media Company have conducted a review of their cost base.

"Those reviews are complete and the businesses are now entering a period of consultation with those employees affected."

* MEDIA group Daily Mail & General Trust yesterday put its regional newspapers division on the market, saying it would sell if the price was right.

The surprise decision to consider a sale of Northcliffe - one of Britain's largest regional newspaper publishers - was combined with a warning by DMGT that there was no recovery in sight for its newspaper advertising markets.

Northcliffe operates from 37 publishing centres, publishing 20 daily titles that have a combined sale of almost one million copies.