Teachers are to be balloted on industrial action over controversial plans by a Scottish council to cut the number of senior staff in its secondary schools.

West Dunbartonshire Council drew up proposals earlier this year to remove some deputy headteachers from secondary schools and cut the number of principal teachers.

It will mean schools including Clydebank High, Dumbarton Academy, Our Lady and St Patrick's High, St Peter the Apostle High and Vale of Leven Academy, no longer having a dedicated principal teacher in charge of every subject.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching union has now opened a ballot for members in West Dunbartonshire after an earlier poll saw 88 per cent backing action.

The EIS has not taken industrial action since 1986 and teachers in West Dunbartonshire have never taken independent action.

A union spokesman said: "We call on the political representatives of West Dunbartonshire Council to review the proposed budget cuts and show determination in defence of educational provision."

The move to so-called faculties has been an issue in councils across Scotland over the past few years with some local authorities merging subject areas such as history, geography and English into joint faculties under one senior teacher.

Teaching unions have argued the move can see subject groupings which bear no relationship to each, leading to departments with faculty heads who have no understanding of the subjects they are in charge of.