A North East university has threatened to cut 76 staff members - which equates to one out of ten academics at the whole institution.

The University of Sunderland could see dozens of staff laid off as soon as November 1, it has been warned as the institution says it like many others are facing economic challenges.

Following the news, the University and College Union (UCU) say they will fight cuts which they say will "tarnish the university's reputation".

UCU regional support official Jon Bryan has said: "The academic year has just started yet staff have returned to campus to learn they could be made redundant before Christmas.

"Cuts of this scale would severely damage student learning and harm the university's standing. We will now seek our members' views on how we fight back against these cuts, and the university could face a strike ballot unless it changes course and works with us to protect jobs."

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A spokesperson for the university has told the BBC that universities across the country are facing "funding challenges" and "the University of Sunderland is not immune".

"Although we have done everything possible to mitigated job losses, a number of roles are impacted."

The University of Sunderland has been contacted for further comment.