Workers at a Medway-based book printing firm have been warned their jobs could be at risk after Christmas.

CPI Mackays, of Badger Road, Lordswood, Chatham, has confirmed to union representatives and employees that a number of roles are potentially redundant and a period of consultation has begun.

The firm is blaming rising costs, coupled with falling consumer demand for a detrimental effect on turn-over

The precise number of job losses is not known but there are fears that it could be as high as 75.

General manager Ian Smith said: “It is with great regret that this decision has been made.

“However, even with considerable investment in new equipment, the business is not immune to a global shift in the volume and type of print work being ordered and the general decline in the economy.

“Some of the factors affecting the business and the wider printing industry are a dramatic rise in the cost of both energy and of paper - two very significant areas of expenditure - and the decision of many publishers to commission shorter print runs and a reduction in consumer demand overall, is expected going in to the New Year.”

It was only in August this year that the trade press carried an announcement that CPI Mackays, the book printing arm of CPI Group,was undergoing a £6 million investment aimed at improving performance.

It was said capacity would increase by up to 500,000 books a week as a result of the new investments.

The CPI Group produce more than 500 million books a year and has manufacturing sites in France, UK, Germany, Netherlands and The Czech Republic. Mackays is one of six manufacturing sites in the UK and has a workforce of 300.

In September this year, security guards were drafted in when a top-secret book printing job was carried out by CPI Mackays.

The company printed the first run of the controversial book, Life With My Sister Madonna, written by the pop diva’s brother, Christopher Ciccone.

But with a heavy publishing embargo the printing job had to be protected 24- hours a day by a team of professional security personnel.

More than 20 security guards, some with dogs, patrolled each separate job component during production and guards also protected the perimeter.