British cable operator, Virgin Media, has announced it will be cutting over 2,000 jobs under new restructuring plans.

Virgin Media announced the 2,200 cuts, which equate to around 15% of the company's workforce, would come into affect by 2012. They form part of annual cost savings of more than £120 million.

The majority of the reductions are due to take place before the end of 2010, and the company revealed they would not start to cut jobs until the fourth quarter of next year.

The redundancy news comes three years after NTL's merger with Telewest, and Virgin's mobile phone division, which saw 4,000 job losses.

Neil Berkett, chief executive of Virgin Media, said: "We recognise that this brings with it significant uncertainty for our people and the communities where they work.

"Throughout the process, we will be communicating as early and openly as we can."

Virgin Media has 76 offices throughout the UK, with major bases including sites in London, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Sheffield.

The announcement comes just a week after Virgin Media agreed with banks to postpone repayments on its £4.3bn debt until 2012.

Meanwhile, the world's second-biggest drugs-making company GlaxoSmithKilne have announced the closure of their Dartford factory, in Kent, which would see the loss of 620 jobs. And in further news which could see Britain's unemployment rate rising further, under the current economic crisis, Yell - the publisher of the Yellow Pages - announced they would be cutting 1,300 jobs, in an attempt to save £100 million.

(JM)