Staff at Orange’s largest UK base in Bradley Stoke have woken up to the news the company will be merging with T-Mobile.

The centre, in the north of the town, employs some 2,200 people and contains the firm’s Executive Office.

The merged company will hold 37% of the mobile market in the UK overtaking the current leader O2.

Orange employs a total of 12,500 people in the UK while T-Mobile employs 6,500.

Neither firm has released any details on how the merged company will work but a spokeswoman confirmed to the BBC that there would be “efficiencies”.