VNU Business Publications, the company behind some of Britain's best-known computer titles, is laying off one in six of its staff and heralding further gloom for the publishing industry.

VNU's managing director, Brin Bucknor, confirmed the company had made about 50 job cuts as part of a larger restructure of its operations.

"What was already a depressed business in the IT and computer market has been pushed deeper over the past weeks," said Mr Bucknor.

"Advertising across all sectors has taken a hit," he said.

"The question everyone is asking is whether it's a recession or a downturn. I think it's silly to pretend this is just going to last a couple of months."

Mr Bucknor said the cuts had been made across the board, in editorial, sales and marketing.

VNU has created a central news "hub" to supply news to trade titles such as Computing, Computer Reseller News and Network Week.

VNU - which relies heavily on computing and IT advertising - decided to make the cuts after announcing its interim results in August, when it revealed an 18% drop in earnings.

The previously lucrative trade magazines, such as Computing, Accountancy Age and the Hollywood Reporter, for which VNU publishes the European franchise, have been hit particularly hard.

Mr Bucknor said the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the accompanying economic climate had "accelerated" the problems of the IT publishing sector.