Vodafone Airtouch will do whatever it takes to satisfy European regulators over its plans to divest British mobile phone operator Orange plc, chief executive Chris Gent said yesterday.

European Commission officials have said the EU's antitrust watchdog will look at all competition aspects of Vodafone's €180 billion (£141.76 billion) takeover of Germany's Mannesmann. Mr Gent, interviewed on BBC television's The Money Programme, said divesting the merged company of Orange would be the new entity's main regulatory hurdle.

He reiterated that Vodafone planned no job losses as a result of the takeover, which finally won the approval of the German company's management on Friday last. Mr Gent said economies would be achieved through improved purchasing.