UP to 65 jobs could be axed at the former Kays Company in Worcester.

The announcement was made to employees by Shop Direct - which owns Kays - yesterday and affects staff at the Bransford Road warehouse.

It follows an efficiency review carried out by the company to improve the way it conducts its business.

A company spokesman said the business was under pressure to make changes due to a continuing decline in its traditional customer base.

"Regrettably, the outcome of this review is the announcement of 65 potential job losses at the Worcester warehouse at Bransford Road," he said.

"We're looking to re-deploy the maximum number of employees into suitable alternative positions in order to minimise job losses across the affected sites."

The company is currently liaising with trade unions to investigate redeployment opportunities.

Kays was bought by the Barclay brothers in May 2003 for £450m. They named the new company - which includes the transport firm Reality - Shop Direct.

The latest jobs threat follows an announcement last September that Reality - the distribution part of the business - would move out of the city, affecting 90 jobs.

And thousands of jobs hung in the balance earlier last year when the Government tried to prevent March UK from merging with Shop Direct.

Around 600 people are currently employed at the Bransford Road site.