The Bradford Telegraph & Argus is cutting its editions from four to one a day and centralising production of its sister weeklies.

The T&A currently publishes two timed city editions, an Aire Valley Final and a Keighley and Craven Final, but these are to be replaced with one early morning edition covering its entire circulation area.

Breaking news will then be added to the paper’s website, thisisbradford.co.uk.

Production of the T&A’s sister weeklies will also move to Bradford.

The Craven Herald, Keighley News, Ilkley Gazette and Wharfedale Observer are currently produced from district offices in Skipton, Keighley and Ilkley, but production staff will be transferred to a centralised unit in Bradford.

No announcement has been made on redundancies, but it is understood that a number of editorial vacancies are to remain unfilled, as owners Newsquest continue to make changes due to “adverse trading conditions”.

Newsquest Bradford NUJ father of chapel Bob Smith said there had been no consultation with staff ahead of the changes that were announced in a memo to staff.

He said: “The memo implies that news gathering will stay in the districts, but it is quite vague and that is part of the problem.

“There is no real detail, only a mention of ‘streamlining of production’ and so people are fearing the worst.

“My view is that this will severely weaken the weeklies, which have held circulation better than the evening.

“The Craven Herald is a million miles from the T&A in terms of style and content, even though it is 20 miles down the road.”

Group editor Perry Austin-Clarke was unavailable for comment.

Union representatives at Bradford hope to discuss the changes with management next week at a pre-arranged meeting to discuss other matters.

The Telegraph & Argus has a circulation of 42,851 (ABC Mon to Fri, July to Dec 2005), down 4.9 per cent year on year.