July 23, 2014updated 24 Jul 2014 1:45pm

Express Newspapers seeking to reduce editorial jobs from 650 to 450, staff told

Express Newspapers is seeking to make 200 editorial redundancies, cutting job numbers from 650 to 450.

Employees were told today by group editorial director Paul Ashford that editorial staff – not all journalists, and including some casuals – working in London, Broughton and Scotland offices will be affected.

To achieve the required savings, Ashford told staff, Express Newspapers is aiming to reduce headcount by 30 per cent across all “print editorial departments” at the Daily and Sunday Express and the Star titles.

Express Newspapers will be looking for voluntary redundancies up until the end of next month and will consider compulsory redundancies if the target is not met.

The National Union of Journalists chapel at Express Newspapers is holding a meeting this afternoon.

Express Newspapers created 40 online editorial jobs last summer.

In the summer of 2012, plans to cut 70 editorial jobs across Express Newspapers were announced. In October that year, the National Union of Journalists said that the threat of compulsory redundancies had been averted after 40 journalists chose to leave voluntarily.