AN ANNOUNCEMENT was due to be made Friday, December 9, on the future of 50 jobs at Wiltshire County Council.

A decision on 50 administrative jobs in the county council's Direct Services division was due to be decided behind closed doors Thursday afternoon.

The service came under urgent review after it was revealed it was £500,000 in the red.

Management has said the jobs of the 50 full-time ground staff and 1,050 catering and cleaning workers are safe, but that the 50 management support staff could be affected by any changes.

Consultants were brought in by the county council to make a thorough review of the organisation.

The review's findings were being discussed by a working party which was putting its recommendations before an emergency meeting of the corporate services sub-committee yesterday afternoon.

A support staff worker said workers were on tenterhooks, waiting to find out whether they would still have jobs. They were due to be briefed about the committee's decision immediately after yesterday afternoon's meeting.