THE axe could fall on up to 20 jobs at one of Ledbury’s major employers.

Drinks firm Universal Beverages Limited (UBL), based at Little Marcle Road, has announced it plans to restructure and could shed a number of roles at its large-scale fruit milling and beverage production and packaging facility.

Staff were briefed on the plans yesterday and 30-day consultation will now be held before a final decision is made.

Gabe Cook, cider communications manager for UBL’s owners Heineken UK Limited, said: “UBL, like all companies, are responding to the economic forecast for 2012 and see the need to adjust their ways of working to ensure that they are able to respond to the changing needs of the marketplace.

“The purpose of the consultation period is to enable everyone at UBL to input into these changes and it would be inappropriate to speculate on any outcome at this stage.”