Telewest to clear 1,000 desks

NEWS Telewest has announced it is may shed around 1,000 jobs as it steps up its cost-cutting drive. The company has already swung the jobs axe earlier this summer, shelving 1,500 staff, but now says further restructuring is likely to see a similar round of cuts. Telewest is currently in the process of restructuring its crippling debts, amid other measures planned to stabilise its rocky finances. Last month a shake-up of the board saw CEO Adam Singer ousted. It is expected that many of the cuts will be made possible through natural attrition. Many analysts suggest the current restructuring within Telewest is in preparation for the long-touted merger with cable rival NTL (see http://www.silicon.com/a53108 for more).