HSBC says 1,200 workers face axe

. Europe's biggest bank, HSBC, has said up to 1,200 of its staff in the UK could face redundancy.

The bank said the individuals who could be affected by job losses were being briefed on Wednesday.

At least a third of the staff cuts will come from back office operations such as call centres, not from High Street branches, a spokesman said.

Unions are disputing the figure, saying the total number of jobs lost in the UK will be closer to 3,000.