STAFF at Bidston Observatory fear for their jobs after the agency which owns the site announced it is to introduce compulsory redundancies.

The 130-year-old Observatory is facing financial problems after cuts in external funding.

Staff believe that this is the first step in closing the site to cut costs.

The Observatory is part of the Centre for Coastal and Marine Sciences (CCMS) which is controlled by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

A spokesperson for NERC said: "The centre is facing severe financial difficulties mainly because of a decline in external funding. Fluctuation in external income has been difficult to contain for several years and it is now clear that there are more staff in CCMS than can be funded by external bodies."

A letter released to staff says: "The numbers of acceptable volunteers for early release will not provide the savings needed so compulsory redundancies are inevitable."

NERC say that 25 people will be made redundant across the three CCMS centres but it is not yet known how many will be from the Bidston centre.

NERC, CCMS, staff and unions will now meet to decide redundancy procedures.

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