Up to 140 council workers are to lose their jobs next year, it was revealed today.

At least 100 staff will be made redundant or have temporary contracts ended as Croydon Council looks to save £100m over the next three years. 

The announcement followed the publication of council's 2015/16 budget proposals, which also included plans to shut down Purley's swimming pool.

Many of the job losses are back office roles, in departments such as finance and planning, in a bid by the council to protect frontline services in the wake of shrinking funding from central government.

Council leader Tony Newman said: "No one is pretending this is easy. These are real people's lives. There will be some job losses. You can't take £35m out of the budget without losing some jobs. 

"Those jobs are not in the frontline, but it doesn't mean it is not important.  These are real people's lives that you are affecting when you cut jobs."

The budget proposals, published this morning, detailed 67 positions set to be cut. 

But council chief executive Nathan Elvery old the Croydon Guardian further jobs, yet to be confirmed, would also be scrapped. 

He said the gloomy forecast of 500 job losses at the council by 2018, predicted in September by finance spokesman Coun Simon Hall, would likely prove correct.

Mr Elvery said: "Those early estimates are probably realistic. We are probably talking 100 to 140 in terms of 2015/16 and probably similar amounts in the next two years that follow. 

"It would be unrealistic to suggest we can take £100m out of the budget in the next three years and that not result in some form of staff reduction."

He said the council would look to slash agency workers and find voluntary redundancies before making compulsory redundancies.

Coun Newman said: "What we want to do is to protect those staff that have made a long-term commitment to the borough. Agency staff come and go - that is the nature of the role."

He added: "The other thing we have made clear as an administration is we are not just going to protect but put more money into frontline services.  

There will be more investment going into clean streets, fly tipping and crucial services such as looked-after children." 

The budget will go before the Scrutiny and Strategic Overview Committee on Wednesday and will go before the cabinet for approval in February.