The National Union of Journalists has described plans to cut 49 mainly print editorial jobs at Trinity Mirror as “savage” and said it would have a “major impact on already weakened newsrooms”.

The cuts fall as the UK’s largest regional publisher expands a new publishing model creating a “standalone” digital business, with print and digital newsrooms functioning independently.

The Birmingham Mail was the first to test out the new approach in September last year, with the creation of Birmingham Live, and it is now being rolled out across a further seven titles.