Comet is to make further redundancies as the future of its Hull call centre is under consultation.

The electrical retailer, which was acquired by private equity firm OpCapita earlier this month, has put the 316 staff at its centre on consultation as it plans to merge its Hull and Clevedon base near Bristol.

Comet chief executive Bob Darke said it is undertaking a three-month consultation process during which coment will “continue to look at a range of options across our sites”.

He added: “In a phenomenally tough climate, significant savings are required to secure the long-term survival of our business. In no way should this be seen as a reflection of the commitment and efforts of our employees and we’ll make every effort to help those ultimately affected to find alternative employment.

“Going forward we need to continue to review all business areas and working practices without losing focus on delivering great products and great customer service each and every day.”

The retailer axed 450 repair staff and support workers two weeks ago as OpCapita began its turnaround programme.

The private equity firm bought the struggling electricals retailer from French group Kesa in a deal worth £2.