BOSSES of the National Media Museum are pressing ahead with plans to transfer a world-renowned collection to London, despite a huge public outcry.

The decision has been branded a "complete disgrace" by one angry MP.

And trustees of the parent Science Museum Group today confirmed that the National Media Museum's name will change next year to reflect its new science focus.

They haven't revealed what the new name could be, although they have ruled out Science Museum North.

A spokesman said they would be testing out various options with stakeholders this year, including titles that retained the word 'National'.

Bradford South MP Judith Cummins, who this week handed the Science Museum Group a 27,000-name petition calling for the Royal Photographic Society collection to remain in Bradford, reacted angrily to the news.

She said: “It’s frankly a complete disgrace that the Science Museum Group have totally ignored the deafening reaction of over 27,000 people who signed the petition calling for the transfer to be stopped.

"They’ve also completely ignored the significant concerns expressed by myself and my fellow Bradford MPs."

Mrs Cummins said the decision wasn't right or fair, adding that she would "fight it all the way". She said she would start by asking culture minister Ed Vaizey to intervene.

She said: "The trustees aren’t democratically accountable and can frankly do whatever they like, over two hundred miles away in the leafy suburbs of South Kensington in London."

Councillor Simon Cooke, Conservative group leader at Bradford Council, also slammed the decision, saying the Science Museum Group was "tearing a great chunk out of the cultural life of Bradford".

Bradford East MP Imran Hussain added that he was disappointed the Science Museum Group had "chosen to ignore" the MPs and the public by pressing ahead with the transfer.

And on plans for a new name, he said: "You can't say you're having a name change without actually having a name in mind. I think it's unacceptable."

On Wednesday, trustees of the Science Museum Group met to discuss the petitions and consider alternative proposals from MP Naz Shah to keep the collection in Bradford.

Yesterday, Science Museum Group chairman, Dame Mary Archer, said: "My fellow trustees and I were struck by the depth of feeling that has been expressed about the future of the National Media Museum.

"We want to assure the people of Bradford that the aim of the Science Museum Group, like that of the council, is to improve the museum, put it on a sound footing, and to shift its emphasis towards inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers, while still celebrating the city’s key role in film, photography and television."

Ms Shah said she was "disappointed" that the trustees hadn't taken up her suggestions.

She said: "I'm not sure the board understood the passionate concern of local people."

The Science Museum Group revealed that while the transfer of the Royal Photographic Society collection will go ahead, the Media Museum could keep some key items on long-term loan.

A further 85,000 items outside the RPS collection had also been earmarked for a move to London, but this will now be reviewed, museum bosses said.

The Science Museum Group also announced that Bradford would be getting some new exhibits in a transfer from the Science Museum in London.

These include the apparatus Sir John Herschel used to discover infrared radiation, a radio receiver created by wireless pioneers Guglielmo Marconi and Sir John Fleming and a 27ft reconstruction of Roderick Denman's 'exponential horn', a benchmark in the quest for audio perfection.

Council leader David Green and Bradford College chief executive Andy Welsh both threw their support behind the museum's new science and technology focus.