BT staff could strike across the UK for the first time in more than 30 years - will internet access be affected?

BT faces the threat of its first national strike in over 30 years as workers are set to vote on industrial action in a row over jobs.

Workers have been disputing BT Group's compulsory redundancies and closure of sites for over a year.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said 45,000 of its members from BT, Openreach and EE - which are all part of the BT Group - will take part in the vote, but warned that a yes vote would have a “massive impact” on the network.

CWU deputy general secretary, Andy Kerr, said: “This is a decision we did not want to take.

“Last year, our members delivered a huge yes vote in a consultative ballot, but BT Group are still in denial.

“My message to BT Group is that our door is still open, and we want to resolve this dispute, but this will require a huge shift in attitude from the company,” Mr Kerr added.

“My message to our members is to continue supporting their union and prepare to deliver a massive ‘yes’ vote.”

BT Group wants to close hundreds of sites across the country over the next few years and concentrate the majority of its operations at 30 key locations, according to the CWU.