UNIVERSITY chiefs have denied a dire warning that scores of jobs are under threat in cuts that would affect thousands of students.

The University and College Union (UCU) said higher education is in the midst of a crisis as the recession affects institutions across the country.

New figures published by the union reveal that 5,891 jobs are at risk in the UK - 4,593 in universities and 1,298 in colleges, affecting around 106,000 students.

Over a third of these (2,165) will be lost in London alone, impacting on 40,000 students.

The UCU warned that job losses will be felt in every university from the leading research-intensive Russell Group institutions to new universities such as London Metropolitan.

In Yorkshire and the Humber 982 jobs are at risk - with 340 under threat at Sheffield University, 100 at York and 187 at Leeds, UCU said.

In the Southern region 323 jobs are under threat, with 160 at risk at Reading University alone, the union claimed.

The West Midlands is facing 403 job losses, Northern Ireland 406 losses, Wales 381 losses, Scotland 280 losses, and the South East 270 losses, UCU said its figures show.

In addition, the North West has 251 jobs at risk, the North East 146 at risk, the South West 151 at risk, the East Midlands 66 at risk and the East of England 67 at risk.

UCU claimed the figures may be the ‘‘tip of the iceberg’’, because institutions are not consulting with the union properly over job cuts.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: ‘‘We have been warning for months of the potential damage unnecessary and swingeing cuts would do to post-16 education.

‘‘These figures offer a worrying snapshot of what is happening in the capital’s universities and colleges, even more worrying is the fact that many institutions have not set out their plans as yet.’’ She added: ‘‘All institutions that are considering slashing jobs need to make a clear, transparent case for the losses and start speaking to us immediately.’’ Diana Warwick, Chief Executive of Universities UK, which represents university vice-chancellors said concern over job security was ‘‘understandable’’, as no one is immune in the recession.

But she added: ‘‘Decisions on staffing can only be taken at individual university level. Trade unions are always involved in such discussions, and universities have a good track record in handling staffing changes in an open and fair way. They will be seeking to minimise job losses in the face of the current challenges, and to avoid compulsory redundancies.’’ Wes Streeting, president of the National union of Students, said he was concerned by the figures.

‘‘Cuts in teaching staff lead to larger seminar, class and lecture sizes, and a lower standard of education for students who are being plunged into tens of thousands of pounds of debt by fees,’’ he said.

But a spokesman for Teesside University said: "We have no plans to cut jobs.

"In fact we aim to increase the number of University staff over the next academic year to support our plans for growth, both on our Middlesbrough campus and on a new site at Darlington."