Hundreds of council jobs will go in the next year with more to follow under cost-cutting plans.

East Sussex County Council says it needs to find at least £100 million of savings over the next four years, with £37 million in 2011/12 alone.

It has drawn up plans to cut 315 posts in its children's services department but says a total of 200 jobs will be cut across all services.

Deputy chief executive Sean Nolan said more redundancies would take place in the following years.

Young people, the elderly and vulnerable adults will bear the brunt of the first year's cuts with a £20 million hit to Children's Services and £14 million from the Adults Services budget.

Targets for achieving savings include the possible closure of eight children's centres, reducing the number of books bought for libraries and a 25% cut in the budget for maintaining footpaths.

Unions have said they will fight the council on any redundancies which are not voluntary.