CAVERSHAM Park is set to be sold and nearly 100 people face losing their jobs as the BBC announces a reshuffle of its services.

It comes as the BBC Monitoring department - which scans global media for British news and government groups - undergoes a mass reorganisation to cope with a £4m cut in its funding.

As well as the job losses it is understood the Victorian stately home and surrounding grounds will be sold on with a time scale set to be announced "in due course".

The mansion, fabled as the first place in the UK to learn of the end of the Second World War, has hosted BBC Monitoring for more than 75 years, as well as BBC Radio Berkshire more recently.

Some of the remaining jobs will be relocated to London as part of the move from Caversham Park.

A consultation between the BBC, staff and the unions is due to begin shortly.

Francesca Unsworth, director of the BBC World Service Group, said: "Like all media organisations, BBC Monitoring has to keep pace with the new landscape of digital and social media.

"And, like the rest of the BBC, BBC Monitoring needs to make savings.

"The proposals we’ve announced are designed to make BBC Monitoring fit for the future and better for its clients, focusing on digital and social media as well as traditional media, and ensuring the organisation can respond to change more easily.

"Today’s plans build on significant changes we’ve already made in BBC Monitoring, including a new production system for staff and a new delivery portal for clients."

A BBC spokesman confirmed the whole site will be sold but was unable to say when.

They added: "BBC Radio Berkshire is committed to the county and is currently looking for new premises within the Reading area, bringing us closer to our audiences."