The National Media Museum in Bradford is one of three northern museums under direct threat of closure, the director of the Science Museum Group warned today.

As well as the Science Museum in London, the group runs the National Media Museum, the National Railway Museum in York and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.

Its director Ian Blatchford said the prospect of a further ten per cent cut in Government funding meant "almost certainly" that one of three northern museums would have to go.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World at One, Mr Blatchford said the cuts would increase the group’s £2 million a year deficit to about £6m a year.

Asked if that would mean the closure of a museum, he said: "I have to say, with a very heavy heart, it really does. We have done lots of boring and sensible things, awful things like cutting staff, procurement, raising more money.

"But cuts of that level bite really deep into our flesh so it means not only big cuts in the Science Museum in London but one of our three great northern museums almost certainly would also have to close."

Pressed on which museum was most likely to shut he said: "It is a very difficult question to answer because we are having that discussion at the moment.

“You are comparing three great cities, York, Bradford and Manchester, very different cities with different economies and different universities.

"We just haven't decided yet."