A university has denied its future is under threat due to falling student numbers.

According to Natfhe, the lecturers' union, Sunderland University is one of five across the county to be put under emergency supervision by the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFC).

But vice-chancellor Professor Peter Fidler said: "There is absolutely no question of the university closing or of us fighting for survival.

"The university is working with the HEFC to revise its financial plans to take into account the lower level of funding as a result of a fall in undergraduate numbers."

Sunderland, along with more than 20 other institutions throughout the country, experienced a sharp fall in applications last year.

This has been attributed to recent changes in student funding and has a knock-on effect on the amount of Government funding it receives.

Prof Fidler said: "We now have to tell the HEFC how we will adjust to the lower level of funding and there is no doubt that the university will continue to thrive in the future.

"We must reduce our actions in areas where there isn't as much strength or demand, and four weeks ago we announced we planned to reduce our staffing by around 140 jobs."

The university is working with union officers to try and avoid compulsory redundancies but lecturers have demonstrated against the proposed cuts.