1,300 gas jobs set to be axed.

Byline: By Jon Griffin

BRITISH Gas owner Centrica today revealed it was to axe more than 1,300 jobs - with Midland workers at risk.

The firm, which said it had lost 978,000 customer accounts in the year to date, will close its headquarters in Stockley Park, Middlesex, and relocate to Staines.

Centrica, which has its Midland call centre at Solihull and an office at Oldbury, said 700 jobs will go at the British Gas Residential Energy back office, including administrators and workers processing household bills.

Meanwhile 340 will be cut in British Gas Services and a further 270 will disappear from the corporate side.

And Midland jobs could also go, said regional spokesman Andrew Turpin.

"We are a national business and there may be some Midland jobs affected but it is impossible to say at this stage. The majority are going at British Gas headquarters based near Heathrow," he said.

Centrica said the streamlining of the business would save pounds 24 million next year and pounds 34 million in 2008.

It said the majority of the 700 jobs going at the household gas and electricity arm will be redeployed to call centres as Centrica beefs up its customer service arm.

Centrica has just over 16 million customers taking gas and electricity from British Gas.