The Welsh education minister has called for the chair of the council of the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wales, Hugh Thomas, to "consider his position" following last week¡¯s revelations about a visa scam at a linked college.

Leighton Andrews said in a statement that it was "untenable for the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wales to continue under its current leadership".

The statement follows a BBC investigation that last week found staff at Rayat London College, which offers 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wales qualifications, had offered to help an undercover reporter posing as a student to cheat her way to qualifications.

Mr Andrews called the accusations "damning criticism".

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He said that the "continuing adverse publicity attached to the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wales is damaging not just to the institution but to the Welsh higher education sector and to Wales as a whole".

He added: "In view of the further allegations made in the press last week, I believe it is untenable for the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wales to continue under its current leadership¡­I therefore call upon the chair of the council of the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wales to consider his position in the interests of the institution and of Wales.

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"I do not say this lightly, but we cannot have a situation where a catalogue of mismanagement undermines the whole of the higher education sector in Wales."

However, Mr Andrews wished the institution's new vice-chancellor, Medwin Hughes, "every success in his new role".

The minister also quoted the recent McCormick review of higher education governance in Wales, which he paraphrased by saying that the "51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wales could not continue in its present form and should be either substantially reformed or wound up".

david.matthews@tsleducation.com