UP to 900 jobs will be cut across Nationwide and Portman after the two building societies merge later this summer, it has emerged.

Nationwide chief executive Graham Beale said the 500 staff cuts already announced in March were set to almost double within two years as the group looks to trim jobs in the combined business.

The news will come as a further blow to scores of Hampshire staff of the two building societies, who are already fearing for their jobs after bosses revealed plans to axe seven county branches.

Branches of Nationwide and Portman in Southampton, Romsey, Totton and Andover are among those to be combined after customers voted to back the massive merger. About 88 Portman branches are to be closed or merged with Nationwide branches in areas where both societies have a presence.

The group said it would "make every effort to transfer the skills, knowledge and experience of its employees and encourage them to seek alternative opportunities within the organisation wherever appropriate".

Nationwide pledged no compulsory redundancies among Portman's branch counter and sales consultants teams within three years of the merger.

The combined group will have a network of 894 branches. The enlarged Nationwide group will be left with about 17,600 positions.