They said the bank had also closed its proprietary trading desk and planned to pull out of trading in most emerging markets securities.

Redundancies at Barclays now total 250, out of a total of 4,600 jobs, the Financial Times said. Of the new job cuts, 75 will come in London, taking total job losses in the UK to 90, while 80 positions will be lost in Asia and 45 in the United States.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper said it understood the redundancy round had now been completed.

The paper said this week's lay-offs included 50 staff from Barclays' global sales staff, 10 from investment banking and 10 from the bank's government bonds team.

The moves follow criticism of the Russian write-down and of Barclays' 148 million sterling ($250 million) participation in thebailout of US hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management.

Barclays announced an internal review after the Russian charge was revealed in September, amid rumours it planned to axe more than 200 jobs.

A number of other investment banks have also announced large staff cuts as a result of volatility in global financial markets this year, among them US giants Merrill Lynch and JP Morgan, Japan's Daiwa Bank, ING Barings of the Netherlands, and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ).