The axe is set to fall on a Dereham town centre government office as part of an efficiency drive to slash 3,250 jobs nationally.HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC) has launched a review to close offices across the county by 2011.

The axe is set to fall on a Dereham town centre government office as part of an efficiency drive to slash 3,250 jobs nationally.

HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC) has launched a review to close offices across the county by 2011.

Its office in Church Street is one of those earmarked to be closed. It is thought under 20 people work at the branch.

A spokesman for HMRC said that if the office did close there would still be an inquiry point in the town for people, perhaps at a different location.

The closure is part of an overall plan which would see the number of staff in the Norwich cluster of offices, of which Dereham is one, cut by 130, from 480 to 350.

Other offices facing the axe are Havenbridge House, on North Quay in Great Yarmouth and Roseberry Court, St Andrews Business Park Norwich.

Another 20 jobs would be lost at King's Lynn office, cut from 90 to 70 by 2011, with the Custom House office at Alexandra Dock closing.

The Vancouver House office in County Court Road, Lynn, would remain open.

Any staff affected at the offices will be moved to other HMRC centres, a statement said.

It said they are being reorganised because of the recent merger of the former Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise government departments.

An eight week consultation process has been started with staff about the job cuts and the final decision on the new employment structure will be announced after August.

Mary Hay, HMRC director responsible for the job programme said: “By consolidating work in fewer locations HMRC will be able to work more efficiently and so improve customer service as well as providing better value for money.”

The HMRC review also includes closing sites in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and several in Essex, including Clacton on Sea and Colchester.