FEARS that postal workers in Malvern will be laid off as part of a national cost-cutting exercise have been allayed.

Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier has warned the company needs to take measures to halt national losses of £2million a week.

However, Richard Hall, a Birmingham-based spokesman for Royal Mail, said last Friday that nothing had yet been agreed.

Mr Hall said staff at Great Malvern would be assessed, as would every other sorting office in the country, but that any cutbacks would not involve redundancies.

"If there is a reduction nobody will be loosing their job," he said.

Mr Hall said steps cost-cutting measures could involve reducing hours or relocating staff.

"We've got to come up with a set of proposals on an office-by-office basis," he said. "Any changes will be made with the agreement of the union and that hasn't been achieved yet."

Mr Hall said the continued quality of the service was of paramount importance.