BATH University has officially decided to pull out of Swindon.

The university's council met today and decided to withdraw.

This backs a plan made by the university's senate last month, which was revealed exclusively in the Adver.

Professor Glynis Breakwell, the university's vice-chancellor, said that the decision to withdraw from the Gateway Project was made with great reluctance.

"For almost five years, the University of Bath has been working to exploit an opportunity to build an iconic, new campus at the Gateway site in Swindon," she said.

"It is very disappointing that the prevailing planning and funding conditions no longer appear to favour a project of this nature and scale.

"Although changing circumstances have worked against the Gateway project, we are confident that the university is already well-placed to respond to the Government's agenda for more radical approaches to higher education, particularly through increased employer engagement."

More details and reaction will follow later.