ALMOST 12,000 public-sector jobs will be lost from just 17 councils across Britain next year, it was revealed yesterday as the local authorities try to cope with devastating central government cuts.

At least 3,000 people will lose their jobs in Glasgow, 2,000 in Edinburgh and 1,800 in Cumbria, according to GMB union research.

Councils have been forced to decide how many positions would be axed or how many services would be shut down because of the huge reductions in their funds, GMB said.

“The last round of local government job losses were described as cutting council services to the bone. The further 30 per cent cut will mean amputations,” said GMB national officer Justin Bowden.

But the 11,766 job losses are “just the tip of the iceberg,” he added, as more are expected after Chancellor George Osborne’s spending review later this month.

On Monday, the Treasury announced that four government departments — the Treasury itself, transport, local government and environment — are the first to “agree” to an average of another 30 per cent reduction in funding over the next four years.

Mr Bowden said: “With the cuts to come people will have more chance of winning the lottery than seeing police patrolling their streets.”

A Communities and Local Government Department spokesman claimed: “No decision has been made on local government funding for next year” and councils have “over £22 billion” in reserves.

“They have to play their part in tackling the deficit,” he added.

For the chop:

Glasgow: 3,000

Edinburgh: 2,000

Cumbria: 1,800

North Lanarkshire: 1,000

Falkirk: 700

Fife: 506

Hampshire: 454

South Lanarkshire: 400

Walsall: 350

Sunderland (housing operator Gentoo): 330

Argyll and Bute: 306

Dudley: 275

East Sussex: 250

Merthyr Tydfil: 200

Worcestershire: 100

Cambridgeshire: 50

Carlisle: 45