More than 100 jobs could be axed in the Staffordshire ceramics industry.

Beauford, which owns Burslem-based Wade Ceramics and Allied Insulators at Milton, says it has put redundancy plans into effect at both firms.

Group finance director Clive Gilham said the payroll at Wade, which currently has three factories in the city employing around 800, would be slimmed down by 50 people.

The company warned earlier this month that jobs were to be axed but would not put a figure on the number.

At Allied Insulators, based in Milton, Tamworth and Bilston, he said up to 75 employees had been warned to expect redundancy out of a 340-strong workforce.

Mr Gilham said: ‘‘There will be about 50 going at Wade and at Allied it could be 75 or less depending on how trading is going.

‘‘The redundancies are almost entirely due to Far East problems and sales and the strength of Sterling.’’

The job losses were confirmed as Beauford announced profits had been hit by a major downturn in the company’s Far Eastern market and the strength of the pound.

The group was only able to record profits before tax of £1.1million in 1997 - just £150,000 up on the previous year.

Overall group turnover fell by £9million to £28million during the 12-month period.

Beauford chairman Sir Trevor Holdsworth said: ‘‘We have been adversely affected by three major circumstances: the prolonged and costly industrial action at Wade, the Far East market disturbance and the strength of Sterling which has constrained exports and the profit margins on them.’’

The strikes at Wade early last year over new contracts are estimated to have cost Beauford £600,000.

Sir Trevor added trouble in the Far East economy and the strong pound had particularly hit sales of whisky flagons made by Wade and also of products made at Allied Insulators.