Workers at an Oxfordshire furniture factory have been told that their company needs to shed 90 jobs due to a fall in orders.

Parker Knoll, which has 500 staff at its factory and showroom in Chipping Norton, has seen a "substantial" fall in sales, said human resources director Robin Beresford.

He said: "We have started the consultation process with our employees and there is a total of 90 jobs that may be at risk across our three sites in Chipping Norton, High Wycombe and Edmonton.

"We're looking at this because of our sales position. We're substantially down against what we had forecast and we have to review our costs, including the number of people we employ."

During the 30-day consultation period, the company will discuss possibilities with the GMB trade union, including voluntary redundancies, transfer or re-allocation of staff. The company's total workforce is 850.

Mr Beresford said: "We will seek volunteers for redundancy, but we need to maintain the right blend of skills for the business."

The Parker Knoll brand dates back to 1870. The founding family relinquished control in 1996 and two years ago the business was taken over by Silentnight, of Barnoldswick, Lancashire.

Silentnight chairman Keith Ackroyd warned shareholders earlier this month that profits would be down because of fewer orders, particularly for upholstery and cabinet furniture.