THE BATTLE over the former Burnley Building Society offices in Grimshaw Street, Burnley, hotted up today.

Colin Lancaster, general manger of the National and Provincial Society, with which it merged several years ago, revealed that "ultimately they would have to ask people to take redundancy."

He said: "I am not at all pessimistic about this. I am optimistic. I think the staff will see that we are managing responsibly."

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