More than 200 jobs will be lost at the Hampshire headquarters of DIY chain B&Q, it has been revealed today.

The redundancies have been announced as part of a “realignment” of employees at the offices in Chandler's Ford.

Staff at the company were informed this morning about the cuts and a 90-day consultation period will now start.

The retail giant announced plunging profits earlier this year, after the wettest summer in 100 years.

Kingfisher, the group that owns B&Q, said that £30m had been wiped off the group's profits as demand for gardening and outdoor maintenance goods plummeted.

B&Q, who a year ago moved its 1,200 head office staff into a brand new building in Chestnut Avenue, said there were no plans to move their base from Hampshire and that they were “totally committed to the area”.

The company has also said it has created 100 new head office roles as part of the restructure - but there is still a net loss of 220 jobs.

It told staff affected by the redundancies that it will offer “enhanced redundancy packages, which go way beyond statutory requirements.”

In a statement, the company's people director, Fraser Longden added: “We recognise this is a difficult time for everyone and thank everyone for their contributions to the business and this process; these changes are fundamental to creating sustainable jobs and the future growth of the business.”