Delivery company DX Group sees earnings tumble 60 pct

* FY core earnings down 60 pct to 7.2 million pounds

* Revenue up 1.3 percent to 291.9 million pounds

* Company says start of year especially challenging

* Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) down 5.8 pct (Adds shares, details)

Oct (Shenzhen: 000069.SZ - news) 20 (Reuters) - Britain's DX Group reported a 60 percent plunge in annual core earnings on Friday and the mail, parcels and courier services company warned the start of its new financial year had been "especially challenging".

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and exceptional items fell to 7.2 million pounds ($9.4 million) in the year ended June 30, on revenue that rose 1.3 percent to 291.9 million pounds.

Shares in company fell 5.8 percent by 0719 GMT.

The company, which in July announced the immediate departure of its chief executive and finance director, also said newly appointed Chief Executive Lloyd Dunn and Chairman Ron Series had started at their positions to lead the company's turnaround.

Earlier this month, activist investor Gatemore Capital Management led a 24 million pound financing for the company at the time which the company called "critical" to address its short-term cash position.

Gatemore, DX's largest shareholder with a 23.8 percent stake, had previously opposed a plan for DX to buy the logistics arm of John Menzies (LSE: MNZS.L - news) for cash and shares in a deal which would have given Menzies majority control of DX. The deal was called off in August.

In July the company had also announced a restructuring to separate its freight and courier delivery operations.

($1 = 0.7630 pounds) (Reporting by Rahul B in Bengaluru; Editing by Jason Neely and David Holmes)