UK bookmaker Ladbrokes has unveiled proposals to close its call centre operations at Aintree, Liverpool, in a response to increasing competition from offshore companies.

The company said its telephone business, which saw a 41 per cent fall in revenue in its 2009 half-year results, is being "severely impacted" in its ability to compete with offshore operators that pay no or low taxes. According to Ladbrokes, its telephone business pays 15 per cent tax on its gross profits, a further 10 per cent on profits from UK horseracing and VAT and corporation tax.

Ladbrokes spokesperson Ciaran O'Brien said: "We have today begun a three month consultation with our employees on the proposed closure. The proposals include plans to redeploy or relocate employees to minimise redundancies. "Telephone betting is a very competitive market and one that is becoming increasingly difficult for UK-based operators who face significantly higher levels of tax than those operating from offshore jurisdictions."