The BBC will cut a further 155 jobs from its news operations as the corporation tries to shore up its balance sheet amid growing pressure on the licence fee.

In a memo to staff, Deborah Turness, the chief executive of BBC News, said the cuts would deliver a saving of £24m, or 4pc of its current budget.

It forms part of a broader cost-cutting strategy aimed at slashing 500 roles from across the broadcaster by March 2026.

The BBC previously set out plans to strip £500m from its annual budget to plug a black hole in its finances. Earlier this year, Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, warned a further £200m of savings would need to be found amid uncertainty over the future of the licence fee funding model.

In the memo, Ms Turness said: “Like all parts of the BBC, News and Current Affairs needs to contribute to those savings to balance the books and secure future reinvestment.”

Bosses will axe 185 roles across news operations and create 55 new ones, resulting in a net reduction of 130 jobs. A further 25 jobs will be cut from its media operations division.

As part of the overhaul, BBC News will shut down its Hardtalk interview programme as it shifts focus towards live and breaking news.

Stephen Sackur, who has presented Hardtalk since 2005, said: “This is sad news for me personally, but much more important, I think it’s depressing news for the BBC and all who believe in the importance of independent, rigorous deeply researched journalism.”