THE huge scale of the financial crisis facing Birmingham City Council became clear last night after plans to shed at least 10,000 jobs over the next four years were unveiled.

Almost 40 per cent of the non-schools workforce will disappear as the local authority battles to deliver £308 million in public spending cuts.

The jobs will be shed through redundancies or transfer to new arm’s-length companies.

Responsibility for providing a range of services, from home care to running leisure centres and libraries, is expected to pass to an army of volunteers.

And council leaders have signed up to the Government’s Big Society initiative, where friends and family are expected to help those in need.

One of the biggest changes, saving £69 million, will see the council opt out of providing social services to all but the most severely disabled adults.