STUDENTS at the Collegiate are worried about the effect Mr Chapman's claims will have on their qualifications.

Student union president Ben Driver, who was on a media course taught by Mr Chapman, qualified earlier this year. He said: "This man has gone to a national paper and said that basically my degree is false. The people I have just graduated with who haven't yet found jobs could find it twice as difficult now.

"Prospective employers could say 'that degree is useless - it says so here. And students currently on courses could think they are wasting their time.

"This could have a knock-on effect throughout all the other courses, and yet it is all based on hearsay, conjecture and one man's personal opinion."

He added that the Union would not know the full strength of feeling about the allegations until students returned to the college from their summer break next week. But Ben added: "There seems to be very little we can do except try and limit the damage that has been caused."

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