MORE than 200 council staff have been told their jobs are under threat in the first sign of the widespread redundancies predicted in the public sector.

Blackburn with Darwen Council, which is looking to cut a third of its budget, has written to 206 people affected to warn them they are ‘at risk of redundancy’ in a 90-day consultation.

This will pave the way for redundancy notices in many of the cases, although bosses say not all the staff will lose their jobs.

Councils are facing an average cut of 25 per cent following Chancellor George Osborne’s spending review.

Some deprived areas, including Blackburn with Darwen, are being hit harder because specific grants they received have also been cut.

It is staff employed by these grants that have been the first to get the bad news.

The departments affected include Housing, Neighbourhoods and Learning and Community Safety, following the loss of Housing Market Renewal and Working Neighbourhood funds.

On Monday night a public meeting took place at King George’s Hall to debate spending cuts.

It has now emerged that many of the council staff helping out were those at risk.

More job losses are expected in the coming weeks and next month when councils learn how much money they will get from the government.

In a letter to councillors, chief executive Graham Burgess said: “I would inform you that the commencement of similar processes in other parts of the organisation over the coming months is inevitable.”

Labour council leader Kate Hollern, who chaired Monday’s meeting, said: “I would much rather we didn’t have to do this. People at that level are very valuable.”

Lancashire County Council has also unveiled a massive cuts programme, which is expected to lead to around 6,000 job losses.