LAW firm Blake Lapthorn is to make 43 redundancies across the company.

But bosses are staying tight-lipped about exactly where the axe will fall and how badly the Oxford office at Seacourt Tower, Botley, will be affected.

Senior partner Jonathan Lloyd-Jones, said: "Over many months, we have taken steps to review and restructure our business in response to market conditions, so it with great regret we now have to announce a number of job losses."

A company statement said the cuts would affect "a range of teams in client-facing and business support areas."

It is understood the firm has been hit by the downturn in the housing market with home sales slashed, reducing the need for associated legal work.

The company also has offices in Southampton, Winchester, Portsmouth and London and employs a total of 795 staff —148 of them in Oxford.

The firm said it would redeploy affected staff in other areas of the business, which are growing "wherever possible."

The statement added: "Blake Lapthorn is committed to a period of consultation over the next few weeks, collectively with appointed representatives from the areas affected and with the individuals at risk of redundancy."