COLLEGE bosses are seeking voluntary redundancies among its 600 staff.

Darlington College of Technology said yesterday that a letter sent out at the weekend to both lecturers and support staff was part of a routine offer which had been made several times in the past.

Sue Campbell, director of external relations, said: "It is a voluntary severance package which applies to people who retire early or who want to leave.

"It has been offered a number of times before in the past. It is by no means a new thing for us."

The college, which has an annual budget of about £17m, unveiled plans in March to relocate to a £30m building in Haughton Road, Darlington.