The company is halfway through a two-month consultation into the closure, which will take effect from the end of June. Consultation is due to close at the end of this month.

Johnston Press met with Unite representatives on Wednesday (3 March) to discuss the closure, which will impact around 15% of staff.

The scheme has already been closed to new members, who are offered a money purchase scheme instead. Members on the existing final salary pension will be given the option to join this scheme from 1 July.

According to the publisher, closing the final salary plan to future accrual would "help limit the increase in liabilities and allow the company to concentrate on reducing the deficit".

The deficit it refers to has grown from £74m to £146m since 2002, despite Johnston Press making extra contributions of more than £43m.

Johnston Press chief executive John Fry said: "Our main aim is to protect the benefits that are already built up in the final salary section of the plan. To do this, we need to ensure that the shortfall is controlled and reduced, and that we provide a pension arrangement that is competitive and sustainable for the company."

Unite national officer Steve Sibbald said that the union understood the company's position and Unite would be working to ensure that members received the best deal available to them.

He added: "This isn't the first company to do this and it won't be the last. It is down to two things: a low return on capital investment, but particularly the decreased mortality rate, which is having a huge effect on all pensions."