Around 40 editorial staff have taken voluntary redundancies at The Guardian this week, as part of a package of 100 layoffs announced late last year.

Staff who have opted for the redundancies include Media Guardian reporters Stephen Brook and Chris Tryhorn and deputy production editor Aly Duncan, as well as the San Francisco-based technology reporter Bobbie Johnson.

The total number of editorial staff who will leave is not yet known. A spokesperson from Guardian News & Media said: "A number of staff have had their requests for voluntary redundancy confirmed this week. Work on the budget and discussions with individual members of staff are ongoing, and the total number of people leaving will not be finalised for some time."

The newspaper's losses are running at around £100,000 a day. In November last year it was announced that the company would offer voluntary redundancies to both editorial and commercial employees, then resort to layoffs only if not enough staff accepted the offer.

Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger this week expressed optimism about the future of the newspaper and ruled out erecting paywalls. Did he speak too soon?

Sources: The Guardian, Journalism.co.uk