BBC poised to axe 2800 jobs to tackle budget shortfall

BBC cost-cutting could mean as many as 2800 staff lose their jobs.

Factual programming may be worst hit if the BBC Trust approves plans to slash the workforce by up to 12 per cent.

Director general Mark Thompson is seeking cuts of six per cent in each of the next five years to make up a £2 billion shortfall between the licence fee settlement and the funds he had wanted. He is expected to outline his plans to the BBC Trust next week.

Executives at the Beeb are understood to have ruled out closing one or more services, such as BBC Three, and opted instead for cuts across the board.

Factual output, which ranges from programmes such as Planet Earth and Panorama to Top Gear and Kill It, Cook It, Eat It, is said to be in line for particularly swingeing cuts.

It is the second major round of job cuts in less than three years. Almost 3800 posts were axed in March 2005.

The cuts come as the BBC struggles to recover from damaging publicity over "fakery" in its broadcasting.