Staff at the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science were informed of the decision by centre director Professor Niamh Nic Daeid. It is feared that all roles, including those funded by the research project and those directly supported by the university, could be lost within 16 months.

The announcement came just a day after the university published a press release praising Prof Nic Daeid and her team as “heroes” for their contributions to forensic science.

The centre, the UK’s largest dedicated to enhancing the scientific quality of court evidence, specialises in cutting-edge technology to detect illicit drugs, explosives, and bodily fluids at crime scenes.

It is understood the university has been urged to pause the redundancy process until a recovery plan is finalised, allowing potential job losses to be included in a voluntary redundancy scheme.