Bradford-based Morrisons to close cafes and counters, putting over 350 jobs at risk

Bradford-based Morrisons has said 365 jobs are at risk of redundancy because of plans to close some of its cafes, convenience stores, florists and fresh food counters.

The supermarket chain said it was costing more to run the services than it was making from customer spending.

The closures will see it shut down 52 cafes, all 18 market kitchens, 17 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies.

The majority of staff members affected by the changes are expected to be deployed to roles elsewhere in the business, Morrisons said.

But there will be a total of around 365 employees at risk of redundancy.

Rami Baitieh, Morrisons' chief executive, said the changes were a "necessary part of our plans to renew and reinvigorate" the chain and invest in areas that "customers really value".

"Although these changes are relatively small in the context of the overall scale of the Morrisons business, we do not take lightly the disruption and uncertainty they will cause to some of our colleagues," he said.

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.