Circulation at the Johnston Press-owned Shoreham Herald was up 2.7pc in the recently published regional ABC figures.

But journalists at the paid-for title, which shares an office with the Worthing Herald, say their mood is far from celebratory with local management planning cutbacks.

It is understood that the posts under threat are those of Shoreham edition editor Michelle Nevell, along with two staff who work across the Herald series - entertainments editor Nikki Jeffrey and one of its two full-time sports reporters.

Now the Herald's NUJ chapel has agreed to be balloted to take part in possible industrial action across the entire Johnston group.

"It's desperately sad it's come to this," said a chapel spokesperson. "This is a small and, in normal times, moderate chapel. These, however, aren't normal times."

The Herald, which first appeared in 1920, is published by Sussex Newspapers Ltd which in turn is part of JP subsidiary Portsmouth Publishing and Printing Ltd.

Karl Dimmock, managing director of Sussex Newspapers, said: "The company has been undertaking a review of the Worthing editorial department structure and has made a proposal to make three positions redundant.

"We have been in a consultative period with the aim of reaching agreement on the proposal and examining ways of mitigating the effects on staff.

"We anticipate that this consultation process will be complete by today in the case of two of the positions and October 2 for the third."

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