THE crisis at troubled retailer Marks & Spencer claimed a number of managers yesterday.

New chief executive Stuart Rose will reduce the number of board directors from six to three and remove a tier of management to speed up decision-making.

Mr Rose, who became chief executive following a takeover bid by Bhs owner Philip Green in May, said trading conditions continued to toughen following recent signs of falling consumer confidence.

The group has not provided sales figures since mid-October, but results for the previous six months highlighted the problems of the ailing retailer as profits slipped to £292.7m from £325.1m a year earlier.

Despite the downbeat mood, Mr Rose said his recovery strategy, including a pledge to overhaul brands and its supply chain, remained on track, with shoppers likely to notice product improvements next spring.

He said: "Marks & Spencer is a business which requires radical change in the way that it operates.

"It needs to completely refocus on the customer."

The overhaul of management will see Mr Rose, the former boss of Arcadia, take direct responsibility for retailing, merchandising and buying.

Finance director Alison Reed, who has been with the company for 20 years, will leave, as will Maurice Helfgott, who is executive director for menswear, childrenswear and home, and retail director Mark McKeon.

The half-year figures showed UK retail sales fell by 0.4 per cent to £3.31bn during the period, with the decline widening to four per cent on a same-store basis.