More than 100 workers including academic staff are being asked to quit the troubled University of East Anglia.

The crisis-hit university is launching a voluntary redundancy scheme as it continues efforts to address its £30m budget deficit.

Bosses have confirmed that it is looking to make 113 redundancies - which will see it losing the equivalent of three per cent of its 3,700-strong workforce.

The scheme, which opens on June 5, is geared at eliminating the need for compulsory redundancies - which new vice-chancellor David Maguire refused to rule out earlier this week.

Eastern Daily Press:

It will give staff members the opportunity to apply for pay-offs, but will be targeted, meaning not every worker will be eligible to apply.

Provost and deputy vice-chancellor, Christine Bovis-Cnossen, said: “We continue to recognise that this is a difficult time for our UEA community, but steps need to be taken to ensure that we are on a secure financial footing.

“Compulsory redundancies still remain our last resort and the aim will be to achieve the proposed reduction of staff numbers through a targeted voluntary redundancy scheme and redeployment opportunities.”

Trade unions representing the university staff have continually stressed that they will not support any form of redundancies, with workers threatening strike action.

Protests were held on campus earlier in the week against the proposed cuts, which followed votes of no confidence in the university leadership from both the staff assembly and students' union.

It comes with the university having already made £6m in savings through a voluntary severance scheme.

However, it still needs to find £45m in savings over the next three years, with a £30m black hole in its current annual budget.

Prof Maguire, who started his new role on Monday, said he felt the university had too many staff members and not enough students.