LEEDS United will "extend their consultation" with supporters over the club's new badge after fans reacted with dismay to the new design revealed to mark their centenary.

The crest, which the club say celebrates "fans at the heart of our identity", depicts a supporter doing the so-called Leeds salute.

However, thousands of fans signed a petition calling for it to be scrapped and the club have responded by extending the initial consultation process, which was said to have taken six months and included feedback from 10,000 people.

A statement issued by the club today read: "Leeds United would like to thank our supporters for their feedback on the proposed new crest released yesterday.

"The volume and depth of opinions expressed reinforced the level of passion our fan base has for our club. While the current board of directors are custodians of Leeds United the fans will always be at the heart of everything we do, and you will be listened to.

"We conducted thorough research into the desire for a change to the crest to symbolise a new era for the club. However, we also appreciate the need to extend the consultation with supporters and we are committed to working with you to create an identity we can all be proud of.

"We will release further information on how supporters can get involved in the process next week."

The petition on change.org, Stop LUFC from Implementing the Leeds Salute Crest, was set up on Wednesday and within hours thousands of disgruntled fans had signed it.

By mid-morning today, the number of signatures had risen to more than 71,000.