Almost half the workforce at the head office of Bradford firm Carpets International has been laid off.

The administrators running the Rooley Lane-based business axed 60 posts from a total of 150 at the head office yesterday.

They were part of a programme of 296 redundancies at the UK's biggest carpet manufacturer, which was placed into administrative receivership last month.

The administrators Pricewaterhouse Coopers said the cuts were essential to allow the business to continue trading as a buyer is sought.

The other job losses were at manufacturing plants in Hartlepool (74), Hull (22), and Northern Ireland (140). No cuts were made at the firm's Newbridge factory.

Joint administrative receiver Roger Marsh, of PricewaterhouseCoopers, said: "We have taken this action so as to create the opportunity to allow the company's main carpet manufacturing units at Newbridge and Donaghadee to continue to operate and thereby create a period of stability.

Nick Halton, regional industrial organiser for the Transport and General Workers Union, said the announcement was "slightly worse" than had been feared.

"We will be taking legal advice for our members because they are entitled to a consultation period," he said.