Thousands of BBC journalists are to go on strike over compulsory redundancies, the National Union of Journalists has announced.

BBC News services on television, radio and online will be disrupted all day on Friday, April 3 and Thursday, April 9 after NUJ members at the corporation voted 77% in favour of industrial action.

The NUJ said the most "urgent" redundancy threat was against 20 staffers in the South Asian section of the BBC World Service.

"Today's result shows that members at the BBC are fully prepared to stand up for their colleagues under threat across the BBC," said NUJ national broadcasting organiser Paul McLaughlin.

"At a difficult time for journalism the fact that so many members at the BBC are willing to support their colleagues is inspiring.

"If the BBC wants to provoke a strike over such small numbers it would be shameful. We call on the BBC to get round the table with us and sort it out."

A BBC spokesperson said that "no-one is facing imminent compulsory redundancy at the BBC South Asian service", and added that the corporation was still in the process of seeking voluntary redundancies and redeployment opportunities.