THE fight to save 1,200 threatened tax office jobs across the region is as a futile as King Canute trying to hold back the tide, a Treasury minister warned today.

Dawn Primarolo, the paymaster general, accused opponents of plans to axe up to 200 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices nationwide of being blind to modern reality.

The closure programme - which trade unions fear may claim 1,200 jobs in the Tyne and Tees areas alone - was necessary to save taxpayers' money, Ms Primarolo said.

Those taxpayers increasingly wanted to email, rather than write letters - a changing demand that could be met at a smaller number of inquiry centres.

In comments certain to anger unions fighting the job losses, Ms Primarolo said: "You cannot have your cake and eat it.

"One cannot say that one wants a tax administration system to be efficient and to use its resources appropriately then say 'But not in my constituency'."

HMRC, which employs 15,000 staff across the North-East and North Yorkshire, is more than half-way through a programme to cut 12,500 jobs and save £30m by 2008.

Two weeks ago, it said it intended to shed another 12,500 jobs by 2011 - cutting the budget by a further 15 per cent and taking staff numbers down to 90,000.

The Public and Commercial Services Union branded the closure programme "foolhardy", and insisted it will undermine the ability of the Exchequer to collect tax revenues.

But, during a Commons debate, Ms Primarolo said HMRC could not "stand like King Canute and say to the taxpayer 'We don't care what you want. You will write to us and communicate with us in this way'."

King Canute, who ruled in the 11th century, is supposed to have placed his throne on the beach - only to find his powers did not stretch to stopping the incoming tide.