LOONEY-VERSITIES

FATCAT bosses at two cash-strapped universities racked up more than £1.4million in expenses and pay in just two years despite financial black holes and proposed job cuts for staff.

- BY JENNIFER HYLAND

Some £1,421,218 has been shelled out by the University of Edinburgh and University of the West of Scotland (UWS) to cover huge pay packets and expenses of senior staff globetrotting to exotic locations.

We can reveal Edinburgh University has paid out £881,789 to its vice chancellor and principal Sir Peter Mathieson for pay and expenses.

UWS has paid principal Prof James Miller £539,429 in pay and expenses, including £5970 for a luxury junket to Barbados.

The splurge comes despite Edinburgh staff facing redundancies as part of plans to save £140million and job cuts at The University of the West of Scotland which has a £14.4million deficit.

Last night, politicians criticised the eye-watering spending.

Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Miles Briggs MSP said: "It's shocking senior staff at Scottish universities are living it up while a number of institutions face financial black holes.