Insurance and fraud specilaist BLM is making mass redundancies in its Manchester office, in the latest evidence that PI and fraud firms are the sketchiest destination for lawyers when it comes to job security.

The firm has placed its fraud team in Manchester, which is led by three partners (with another 13 partners listed as fraud experts by BLM), into a redundancy consultation. RollOnFriday understands that partners, associates, assistants and support staff are all set to lose their jobs. An insider told RollOnFriday that only six people will remain in the practice, and that a 'lucky' half-dozen have been asked to reapply for their jobs.

BLM, which employs over 1,600 staff across 13 offices, would not say how many people were involved in the redundancy consultation. Instead a spokesman relayed the excellent news that it was creating a "fraud centre of excellence" in Birmingham (rather than Nigeria, the traditional centre for excellent fraudulence). She said the firm intends to find new positions for staff who lose their jobs in other practice areas either in Manchester or in Birmingham. The latter being an ideal solution, because not only would they get to work in a fraudulent centre of excellence, but it would only add five hours to the commute.

"This centre had better be ****ing excellent"

Even before the latest consultation, staff rated BLM poorly. It came fourth from last in RollOnFriday Firm of the Year 2016, with lawyers who work there slamming its "secretive management" and "dogshit salaries".

On the upside, there will now be even more options for the senior associate who said that because departing members of staff are not replaced, there is, "room to stretch out on spare desks". Assuming he's not joining them of course.