Exclusive Pipex is cutting its broadband customer service staff, sources reveal.

The Register has learned that the firm told 19 staff today at its Welwyn Garden City site their jobs were at risk. Pipex announced disappointing annual results this morning and has been the subject of sell-off talks for some weeks.

Dominic Crolla, Pipex's managing director of broadband and voice, confirmed to The Register that the cuts would affect staff "who mostly manage and process Pipex customer issues".

There will be a 30 day consultation period. If an employer wants to make 20 or more redundancies, there must be a three month consultation. Our source said that alternative arrangements for dealing with customers have already been put in place at the Manchester site, "so they're pretty certain that Pipex are just going through the formalities".

In its stock market report this morning Pipex said Manchester would be the first major city to get its WiMax service, which it has been trialling in Warwick.

Crolla said the redundancies are part of his plan to consolidate the Bulldog and Home Call acquisitions, but the aim would be "to retain everyone [in other parts of the business] if at all possible". ®

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