One of the county's most famous and well-respected furniture companies is "consulting staff" over changes to their operations amid a tough coronavirus lockdown period.

Family-owned furniture manufacturer ercol, which is more than 100 years old, says it needs to "adapt" its business because of the impact coronavirus has had on the industry that made High Wycombe famous as the chair-making capital of the world.

A staff member, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the Bucks Free Press it was a "sad day" as a "number of redundancies" have been announced.

But an ercol spokesman said it would be "inappropriate" to discuss the situation while they are consulting a "very small number of staff on some changes to our operations and the creation of some new jobs".

Discussing the impact the Covid-19 outbreak has had on the Princes Risborough-based company, the spokesman said: Since the end of March and the start of the national lockdown, ercol has faced the same challenges as many businesses.

"Although manufacturing was permitted to continue, with our retail partners closed, we had no option but to temporarily close our factory in Princes Risborough.

"With the gradual relaxation of retail restrictions, we have seen a solid return of business. However, the emphasis of our domestic business has changed and our international markets have not rebounded as quickly as we would have liked. This has had an impact on our factory volumes.

"Coupled with very uncertain market conditions, we need to adapt our business and this means that we are consulting with a very small number of staff on some changes to our operations and the creation of some new jobs.

"You will appreciate that it is inappropriate for us to discuss the circumstances while we are consulting other than to say that we are confident that we can minimise the impact for our staff by the creation of these new roles.

"We do not take these decisions lightly and believe that these changes are necessary to adapt for the future as we see it.

"We have been proud employers in the region for the last hundred years and, as a family run business, we are determined to ensure that this continues for the next hundred years.”

ercol has a proud history in the High Wycombe area.

Founder Lucian Ercolani moved from Italy to London before being asked by Harry Parker, from the influential Frederick Parker furniture makers which became Parker-Knoll, to move to High Wycombe and start working with them in 1910.

By 1920, Lucian had decided to set up his own furniture factory, creating Furniture Industries, which is now one of Britain's flagship furniture makers ercol.

In June 1964 Lucian Ercolani was awarded an OBE for services to UK design and manufacturing.

In 2002, after 82 years in the old factory in High Wycombe, ercol moved to Summerleys Road in Princes Risborough, where it still is now.