THE cost of Southampton University's controversial new logo has shot up by an additional £200,000, the Daily Echo can reveal today.

Union leaders condemned the spiralling cost of the new marketing exercise, which now totals £360,000.

They are angry that the cash is being spent at time when jobs at the university are under threat.

The logo price tag is now more than double the original £160,000 figure released by the university earlier this year for the design cost of ditching the dolphin and replacing it with a simple typeface.

At the time the university said the cost of ordering new stationery and changing all the campus signs as part of a rolling programme of work could run into tens of thousands - but failed to give a definitive figure.

Now it has emerged that £200,000 is being spent on implementing the controversial logo with most of the money being spent on stationery.

The revelation comes as university bosses continue with a money saving review in a bid to clear a £2m deficit that could mean possible job cuts.

First in the line-up of possible cutbacks are some of the university's 1,400 non-academic management, specialist and administrative staff.

Furious' A Unison spokesman said: "Everyone is furious that the university found so much money to ditch the dolphin logo at a time when they are telling staff they have to make huge savings and massive job cuts.

"Staff and students have widespread concerns about the threat to jobs and student services.

"We hope that the university will listen and work with campus trade unions to ensure there are no compulsory redundancies."

The union spokesman said that the university should have been clear about the exact cost of designing and implementing the new logo before beginning the rebranding exercise.

Students have also been concerned at the costs of the rebranding and have questioned why the design work couldn't have been done in-house.

Commenting on the logo, a university spokesman said: "Many of these implementation costs are internal, paid by one department to another.

"The university has been clear in its intention to introduce the new brand in the most cost-effective way possible and for that reason we are not immediately changing everything with a dolphin logo on it, for example signage."

Initial proposals from the review project and another review looking at how the university can increase its research income will be presented to the university's council in mid July.

If accepted further consultation on the council's recommendations will begin on August 1.