UNIONS have asked the town's three MPs to step in to resolve the cash row at Bolton College, claiming it could lead to eventual closure.

Last night, unions and college governors held a crisis meeting to discuss next year's budget which could lead to up to 40 job losses.

But afterwards management described talk of possible closure as "a nonsense" saying the 40 job losses would involve 10 to 20 compulsory redundancies at most.

As reported in the BEN, the college has been told to return £1.5 million after a bureaucratic blunder led to it claiming too much money from the Further Education Funding Council over a four-year period.

Last night unions urged governors to try to negotiate a new deal with the FEFC because they believe the proposed repayment plan of £500,000 a year will lead to job losses and course closures.

Tony Thompson of the non-strike union PAT, the Professional Association of Teachers, said he believed the governors had made an "error of judgement" which could lead to "a spiral of decline" at the college.

Grave

But lecturers' union NATFE went further and claimed the repayment rates could lead to "the rapid dissolution of a college which has served its community well for over 50 years."

A NATFE spokesman said: "Staff at Bolton College are so concerned at the grave financial crisis which they fear could lead to closure. They have appealed to the town's three MPs to investigate and intervene urgently."

But Cllr Cliff Morris, chairman of the governors, insists the repayment bill has not put the college's future in jeopardy.

He said: "That is a nonsense and statements like that do not help the situation at all. Recruitment is going well and we have a recovery plan in place.

"It is important to have a viable college in Bolton to serve the local community and that is what we intend to achieve."

Management have said they will consider the unions' proposals and negotiations are set to continue.

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