Jobs threat at magazine firm

Almost 100 jobs at Shrewsbury newspaper and magazine distribution firm Dawson News are under threat after the company lost a series of high-profile contracts, bosses said today.

The 97 employees include management, clerical staff, warehouse operators and drivers at the branch in March Way on the Battlefield Enterprise Park.

The firm, which has branches across the UK, said 2,800 jobs were at risk nationally.

Dawson News says recent developments in the industry have created a situation in which the distribution of newspapers and magazines could be controlled by two regional monopolies, Menzies and Smiths.

Now Peter Harris, chief executive of Dawson Holdings PLC, is calling on MPs and the Office of Fair Trading to act before the jobs are lost. He said the firm had contracts until September and into the beginning of 2010.

"With the future of Dawson jobs on the line, I felt that it was important to try to demonstrate to the local communities that will be affected what is happening in our industry and why," he said.

"We priced our bids for the contracts very aggressively and would be interested to know how we were unable to compete. I would think the OFT would also be interested."