UP to 100 staff working for a facilities management company which runs the Gracie Fields Theatre and four schools in Rochdale could face the axe after the firm went into administration.

Operon, which has its headquarters in Leeds, has admitted that as many as 246 of its near 950 cleaning and maintenance staff across the country are faced with redundancy.

The firm manages four schools in Rochdale - Springside, Redwood Hamer and Marland Primary, Oulder Hill - as well as the theatre.

Operon, which was given the contract in 2006 by Rochdale Council to provide services, includes cleaning, security, school meals, grounds maintenance and caretaking. A separate firm, Axiom, has been drafted in to ensure services previously run by Operon in Rochdale will not be affected.

John Bollington, the building schools for the future project director at Rochdale Council said: "Staff affected have been advised to work as normal, and we have been assured by Axiom, that salaries are not at risk.

"Existing staff will be required to deliver the services provided."

It is understood the facilities management for the theatre has been transferred to Grosvenor House Group who has said the theatre will continue with its programme of events.

Hunter Kelly and Charles King of Ernst and Young were appointed joint administrators of Integrated Building Services Engineering Services (trading as Operon).

Following the appointment, the administrators sold the company's right to 38 facilities management contracts to Europa Facilities Management and eight other contracts to Grosvenor House, for undisclosed sums.

The joint administrators said: "Operon has been experiencing contractual cash flow difficulties leading to immediate talks to sell its assets.

"Both deals were completed in a matter of days which have maintained the continuity of service to clients and saved 690 jobs across the UK and Ireland."