PROFIT-HUNGRY publisher Newsquest continued its rampage across Britain’s regional media yesterday with plans to sack a quarter of its staff at Bolton News.

Owned by US transnational Gannett, Newsquest has shed staff at newspapers across Britain including Bradford’s Telegraph and Argus, the York Press and titles in London.

Now it is to sack 10 journalists at the Bolton News group in Greater Manchester — despite seeing profits soar by 30 per cent last year.

Staff have been given until Tuesday afternoon to apply for voluntary redundancy.

National Union of Journalists (NUJ) rep David Thomson called it a “devastating and heart-breaking blow” and “the worst round of redundancies I’ve ever encountered.”

He added: “I have never seen my colleagues as stunned and sombre as they were following the announcement.”

The NUJ said that Newsquest bosses recently gave themselves a 26 per cent “performance related” bonus.

NUJ members meet on Monday to consider their response.