The supermarket giant is slashing the number of people it employs in such management roles and will invest in adding more frontline customer-facing positions.

Morrisons plans to create 7,000 new hourly-paid roles – resulting in a net 4,000 new jobs – across its near-500 store estate.

It said the move is designed to improve customer service and availability in its supermarkets and allow the remaining department managers more time to “concentrate on helping frontline colleagues to do their job and run their stores”. 

Many of the new roles are expected to be on its Market Street butcher, baker and fishmonger counters.