BUILDER'S merchant Travis Perkins has announced plans to shut 30 branches - putting 600 jobs at risk.

However, the company has confirmed jobs at its Worcester, Pershore, Droitwich, Malvern and Ledbury branches are safe.

Travis Perkins said it is shutting branches in the face of "uncertain" customer demand in 2017.

All 600 staff affected by the move have been told of the changes.

The Wickes chain-owner is also closing 10 smaller distribution centres and reviewing its plumbing and heating division.

Travis, which employs 28,000 staff group-wide, said it hoped to relocate some of the affected staff to other sites.

The overhaul comes as the company said full-year underlying earnings would be "slightly" lower-than-expected, while it cautioned over the outlook for 2017.

It said: "Given that levels of future demand remain difficult to predict, the group has chosen to implement a number of efficiency programmes and branch closures to further optimise the network.

"This work includes the closure of 10 smaller distribution and fabrication centres, the write-off of certain IT legacy equipment and over 30 branch closures in our trade businesses."

John Carter, chief executive of Travis, said: "It is still too early to predict customer demand in 2017 with certainty and we will continue to monitor our lead indicators closely."

Travis is half-way through a five-year overhaul of the group, which is seeing it shut unprofitable stores and expand in better performing areas.

It is revamping its Wickes stores and said it has refitted 50 shops.