An MP has written to Trinity Mirror chief executive Simon Fox raising fears about how the publisher’s current round of job cuts will affect titles in Birmingham.

The company announced plans in January to axe 92 regional roles and create 52 new ones, around half of which would be in its regional newspapers.

Jack Dromey, the Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington, has written to the company saying the plan could have a negative effect on journalism at the Birmingham Mail and its sister weekly the Birmingham Post.

In the letter, he claimed the plans would lead to 20 roles being cut in Birmingham and Coventry, including 13 reporters and a number of production staff, although the net loss would be around 12 journalists because of the creation of new positions.

Mr Dromey wrote:  “Newspapers and media companies have been hit hard by the economic downturn and the challenge of the internet and as a result the business has contracted dramatically over the last five years.

“The response of the Birmingham Post and Mail to this situation has been to contract its business considerably over this period – with editions cut, titles closed, offices sold and hundreds of staff made redundant.

He added: “I am a keen advocate of a free press which has the ability and resources to challenge those in authority on behalf of its readers and taxpayers.

“With a watchful press it is less likely that cover-ups and corruption will be allowed to fester.”

In the letter, the MP raised fears that the loss of staff would hamper the papers’ ability to “investigate, ask questions of those in authority and champion the causes of its readers.”

And he also highlighted potential problems with content submitted by readers, which Trinity Mirror aims to increase in its regional titles.

Mr Dromey wrote: “How can we trust readers, businesses and public relations companies to contribute balanced, compelling and challenging articles?

“The Birmingham Post and Mail has been providing local news to this city for more than a century, through world wars, recessions and depressions and great technological change. How can you assure me that this will continue?”

Trinity Mirror had not responded to requests for a comment at the time of publication.

In January, the publisher said it wanted to move to more content-sharing across its regional and national titles as part of the introduction of a new publishing model dubbed ‘newsroom 3.0′.