Sure Start projects will be put under pressure because of plans to cut hundreds of posts in the Department for Education and Skills, says the civil service union.

Efficiency cuts would mean at least one Sure Start worker being made redundant from each of the government offices, said general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union Mark Serwotka.

Administrative roles were likely to be targeted, which would in turn undermine work carried out by front-line Sure Start staff, he said.

The cuts are among thousands of civil service posts being cut as part of a government efficiency drive being carried out by Sir Peter Gershon.

But speaking last week at the union's annual conference in Brighton, Serwotka said: "We are all in favour of more front-line resources, but to think you can do that by arbitrarily cutting the back line without there being any effect on front-line service delivery is naive."