Reporters' jobs are under threat at the Guernsey Press if the island's government stops putting official notices in the paper.

The States' Policy Council is putting forward a plan to close the 166-year-old La Gazette Officielle which is published daily in the Press.

In it, official notices keep islanders informed of everything from new traffic lights to the cost of local council tax.

Without it, the Press could lose anything up to £67,000 in annual advertising revenue - which could mean redundancies.

The States wants to publish its notices on its website, in newsletters and in locations such as post offices but deputy editor Shaun Green thinks it would lose a vital communication tool.

"Initially the plan was that this was an improvement in communication," he told holdthefrontpage.

"But there's a big difference in our mind between something being available online and something being read online.

"We have a circulation of over 16,000, with about 60,000 people living on the island.

"We are convinced we're the best form of communication."

On the looming of spectre of possible redundancies, Shaun added: "I don't want to even contemplate that.

"It's a huge advertising client for us. They are claiming a £67,000 saving based on 2005 figures but the true saving is more like £30,000 per annum.

"But one of our objections is that they have not worked out their own costs for doing this."

The Policy Council is due to present its recommendations to the States' 47 deputies today.

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