National World considers injuncting the BBC

As it slashes its arts and local radio offering, the BBC is planning to extend its digital local news reporting into Bradford, Wolverhampton, Sunderland and Peterborough - cities which have a proud tradition of respected local journalism from the Peterborough Telegraph, Sunderland Echo, Wolverhampton Express and Star, and Bradford's Telegraph and Argus.

National World - which publishes the Peterborough Telegraph and the Sunderland Echo along with hundreds newspapers and websites - said it was also talking to the other independent regional publishers, Newsquest and Midland News Association, responsible for the news operations in Bradford and Wolverhampton to invite them to join any legal action.

The BBC's plans will also see a redeployment of resources to daily online news for 43 local areas, with the creation of 11 investigative reporting teams across the country and around 131 additional roles across local news services, with local stories made easier to find.

Gary Shipton, deputy editor in chief of National World said: “It is outrageous for the BBC to decimate its arts coverage - with devastating cuts to its three English orchestras and closing down the BBC Singers choir - and its local radio reporting teams while spending the public's hard earned licence fees on vanity projects which directly compete with respected local publishers.

“All the BBC will achieve through this nonsensical and ill-thought out anti-competitive behaviour is to put more journalists' jobs at risk in the private sector. For that reason we are now seeking legal advice on the potential action we can take and of course we are talking to the main publishers in Bradford and Wolverhampton to see if they wish to work with us. Injuncting the BBC is one of the options we are considering.”