A further 120 jobs are to be lost in Dudley as a result of tax office cuts. Bridge House in Brierley Hill is being downscaled, with the 400-strong workforce reduced to 280.

The 120 workers affected – mostly inspectors and collectors – will be relocated to Crown House in Wolverhampton and City Centre House in Birmingham.

It comes after Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) confirmed that nearby Capstan House is being axed, with 78 staff moving to other offices.

News of the Dudley job losses came as it was announced that HM Revenue and Customs is to close more than 90 offices in the UK and axe 3,400 jobs. 

The Public and Commercial Services Union’s Dudley representative Tim Crumpton said the news was a “huge blow”. 

He added: “These are jobs that Dudley simply cannot afford to lose. These people shop at the Merry Hill Centre, get their lunches round here and go to local gyms, and now that money is going to Wolverhampton and Birmingham.”

He said he had been inundated with calls from workers facing rises in their travel costs. HMRC will meet 70 per cent of the difference for three years but that would still leave staff out of pocket, he added.