JOB cuts at the National Trust conservation group have been condemned as "needless penny-pinching".

The Prospect union said the decision was "shocking".

The trust has said 250 jobs need to go to save £6m.

But Prospect negotiator Helen Stevens said the announcement was a major blow and would wipe out almost 5% of the workforce.

Fourteen regional offices, including Yorkshire, will be hit.

The trust's office at Marsden has two full-time officials and a number of volunteers.

"Losses of this scale will make it almost imposible to avoid compulsory redundancies," said Ms Stevens.

"We have yet to see any evidence that these cuts are needed or that it is more than a knee-jerk reaction by over-cautious trustees."

She said the cuts would mean losing the lifeblood of the trust.

With so many people gone those remaining would feel demoralised and overworked.

The trust blames soaring costs, its pensions bill, insurance and maintenance increases for the cuts.

It says more than 50 jobs have already gone through job-freezing. Also 200 posts will be saved through voluntary redundancy, but compulsory job losses cannot be ruled out.