PROGRAMMES on BBC Radio York were severely reduced today as striking staff mounted an all-day picket line outside the station in Bootham Row.

One of the strikers, presenter Elly Fiorentini, said about 25 to 30 out of the station's 45 staff were on strike.

She said Selby MP John Grogan, the chairman of the all-party BBC group in Parliament, had visited the picket line to show his support against the proposed job cuts.

She said members of the management had succeeded in bringing out some programmes, but news coverage was reduced, and repeats of pre-recorded programmes were due to be broadcast through much of the afternoon.

She said the station would be particularly badly hit by the cuts, with five or six jobs due to go within one year, which would increase the likelihood of compulsory redundancies.

Updated: 14:46 Monday, May 23, 2005