STAFF at a Scottish university are facing the axe after officials announced plans to save more than £6 million.

The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) is to launch a voluntary severance scheme to cover cuts of £3.5m - with a further £3m required to offset increasing costs.

Last year, the university was accused of embarking on a "vanity project" after opening a new campus in London.

UWS is the third Scottish university to announce job cuts after similar moves by Dundee University and Robert Gordon University, in Aberdeen.

Earlier this year the Scottish Government unveiled cuts to university teaching budgets of 3.5 per cent, with some institutions facing an even bigger shortfall.

Professor Craig Mahoney, principal of UWS, said there were "significant implications" from the funding announcement for 2016/17.

He said: "A consequence of the 2016/17 settlement is likely to result in an immediate adverse impact of between £3m and £3.5m on UWS.

"In addition to this reduction, we have to account for inflationary pressures linked to salary and other costs estimated at an additional £3m.

"We anticipate that future funding settlements will be equally challenging leading to continuing pressure over the three year period of the spending review."

Mr Mahoney said the university intended to "redouble" its efforts to generate new income from sources other than the public purse such as research and commercial activity.

But he added: "The settlement means we will need to reshape our workforce to deliver our objectives within the reduced allocation.

"In addition, we will need to make efficiencies over the coming year, but in doing so we will not compromise our ability to deliver an outstanding student experience underpinned by strong applied research."

Last night, teaching unions called for university managers to rule out compulsory redundancies.

Dr Chris O’Donnell, a spokesman for the UWS branch of the UCU lecturers' union, said: "Staff at UWS are obviously very concerned about moves to reshape the workforce at the university.

"While the financial position for the sector in Scotland is difficult, it’s important that universities don’t cut the very people who deliver the teaching and research that is the lifeblood of the institution.

"We’re asking the university for clarity on their proposals and encourage the university to work with us and all the campus unions to ensure that they rule out compulsory redundancies."

A spokesman for the Educational Institute of Scotland added: "Any cut to education funding is clearly a matter of concern, and can have a detrimental impact on learning and teaching.

"It is essential that all options are explored to ensure that staff jobs are protected, in order that the high quality of teaching, learning and research can be maintained."

In February it emerged Dundee University was forecasting a deficit of up to £10 million by the end of 2017 thanks to budget cuts as well as increases in staff pay, pensions and national insurance contributions.

The university's principal Professor Sir Pete Downes said: "While we are delivering a break-even budget in this current year, the outlook for 2016/17 is a deficit in the university finances of £8m to £10m. Unless we take action then we will be looking at a real threat to our financial sustainability."

Later that month Robert Gordon University said it would shed 100 jobs as part of moves to cut £6 million with a spokeswoman saying the institution was facing "challenges" as a result of the pressure on public finances and uncertainties over wider university revenues.