Staff at Trinity Mirror-owned newspapers in Cardiff and Newcastle have been given details of proposed job cuts there following a cost review of the group.

In Cardiff, where the Western Mail, South Wales Echo and Wales on Sunday are published, it is understood that ten posts will be lost from editorial along with more in other departments.

According to the National Union of Journalists up to 20 posts will be cut in Newcastle, home of The Journal, the Evening Chronicle and the Sunday Sun, from across all departments.

The Evening Chronicle’s Late Night Final and Saturday sports paper The Pink are also being dropped.

These are the first figures to be announced to staff after Trinity Mirror said earlier this year that it would be taking “further steps to protect its position” as it prepared for a tough year of trading.

The cost review is locally-driven and there has not yet been an announcement at other Trinity Mirror centres such as those at Birmingham and Coventry.

The NUJ says a series of staff briefings in Liverpool is expected to begin today.

A spokesman for Trinity Mirror said the company would not be commenting on numbers on a centre by centre basis.

He said: “In view of the challenging economic conditions facing all media companies each of our businesses has conducted a review of its cost base.

“Those reviews are now being completed, and our businesses are entering periods of consultation with those employees affected.

“This is a locally-driven process and each operating company has its own timetable for consultation.

“However, the overall process will not be concluded before our Preliminary Results announcement on 2nd March 2006.”