CIDER giant Bulmers is looking to cut its workforce in Hereford.

The Plough Lane company has confirmed it is inviting redundancies from among its 1,000 workers.

"There is quite definitely no fixed number," said a Bulmers spokesman.

"We are inviting anyone interested in voluntary redundancy to apply, and have said that we would consider it."

Shocked staff, who had hoped enforced redundancies could be minimised or avoided altogether, had the news broken to them on Friday.

Talk of the cuts emerged as the company enjoyed a period of record sales - its Strongbow brand having proved to be the 10th most popular long drink in the country and its schnapps-based shot Sidekick taking the country by storm.

But the Bulmers spokesman insisted the company was carrying out a "good housekeeping exercise" and claimed the volume of sales was not always related to profitability.

In a statement, Rob Garner, group director of human resources, said Bulmers was consulting its employees based in Hereford on how it would respond to the fast-changing nature of its market.

Identified

"The company has identified the need for radical changes in the way we work together to meet the needs of our customers and consumers," he said.

"This will involve a restructuring of the business to make it more efficient and responsive.

"Over the next two months we will, with all employees and union officers, be carefully examining a variety of ways in which this can be achieved.

"Employees themselves will play a big part in this process."

He said the firm needed to boost revenue and cut costs, and as a result, redundancies became necessary.

"We cannot put any number on possible future job losses, but naturally we hope that any enforced redundancies can be minimised or avoided," the statement added.

Mr Garner confirmed Bulmers sales were running at record levels and the business was performing well in the market place.

"But we operate in a fast-moving, highly-competitive market place, where the pressure on profit margin is considerable," he said.