Communications giant BT, which has a headquarters at Adastral Park in Martlesham, has said it will cut between 40,000 and 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade.

BT Group has said the proposals are part of its plans to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and automated services.

About 2,500 people work for BT at Adastral Park, but it is unclear how many roles will be affected in Suffolk.

The company said it wants to rely on a "much smaller workforce" and a reduced cost base, and to digitise its processes.

Some 10,000 jobs will go as BT digitises, and as customers rely more on online and app-based communication rather than call centres for things like account servicing and upgrades.

Chief executive Philip Jansen said advanced AI is a key part of the company’s technological transformation plans.

He said it will make services faster, better and more seamless for customers, adding: "The biggest driver here is customers, make no mistake."

Mr Jansen stressed that the AI shift will not mean customers will “feel like they are dealing with robots”.

He added: "We are multi-channel, we are online, we have 450 stores and that’s not planning on changing at all. There are plenty of opportunities for our customers to deal with people at BT… plenty of people to speak to."