TRANSPORT union RMT vowed to continue its resistance yesterday after London Underground (LU) announced it was pressing ahead with plans to close Tube ticket offices, threatening hundreds of jobs.

The company said changes will start next February, claiming that switching employees from ticket offices will "transform" services for passengers.

Staff will be given hand-held devices to give information to travellers, while 150 new ticket machines will be installed across the network, it said.

The move sparked a bitter industrial dispute earlier this year which remains unresolved.

However LU stressed that job losses as a result of the change are being achieved through voluntary redundancies, with jobs remaining for anyone who wishes to stay.

But RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Boris Johnson is crashing on with his reckless gamble with passenger services and safety and this whole exercise in slashing staff and ticket offices will result in chaos at a time when passenger numbers are surging.

"RMT will continue with the political and industrial fight against these plans, which risk turning booking halls into the transport equivalent of an Asda on Black Friday."

London Assembly Labour group leader Len Duvall also condemned the plans.

"More people than ever are using the Tube network - yet Boris Johnson's cuts will mean hundreds fewer staff there to help passengers," he said.

"It is outrageous that just a month after Londoners face another round of fare rises, Boris Johnson plans to cut the service they are offered.

"It's a real case of the mayor asking Londoners to pay more and get less in return."