Medway Council has announced proposals for up to 50 job losses and cuts in services in its efforts to save cash.

Bosses at the council say they have been left with no choice after the government announced it was taking £6.1 million away from Medway's budget.

Following government advice to make cuts to children’s services, there will be £450,000 less funding for a number of programmes in schools including before and after school activities, holiday provision, and parenting support.

In addition, £828,000 will be taken from a total of £3.6m for services to improve standards in Medway’s primary and secondary schools and £100,000 will be cut from public health spending.

The Medway Children’s University will also be axed as part of the savings.

Elsewhere, more than £1m has been taken from the council's capital investment programme, which will affect schemes such as improving Eastgate House in Rochester and Gillingham Park, and the Twydall traffic-calming project has been abandoned.

Reductions to the council’s back office staff will allow further savings of nearly £630,000.

Medway Council is not alone in having to cut services due to a reduction in its funding – this is something currently faced by all councils and across the whole public sector.

But the council says because it provides everything from waste collection to schools, leisure centres and social services, the cuts will affect a large number of areas.

Medway Council Leader Cllr Rodney Chambers said: "We are fully aware that making cuts in services will have a real effect on people across Medway.

"We are making these cuts, but we will do our best to protect our frontline services.

"However, due to the size of the reduction in our government funding for this year we are left with no option but to make cuts that will affect many people in Medway."

Cllr Alan Jarrett, deputy leader and portfolio holder for finance, added: "We work hard to manage our budget with the limited resources we have while keeping council tax as low as possible for our residents.

"We set a balanced budget in February for this current financial, but due to the government cuts in late May that take effect immediately we now have to make these difficult decisions without delay.

"We have been left with no choice but to make these cuts, but are trying to be as fair as possible by keeping in place the vital services that our residents value and expect."