Institution fined £4K for false claims

A private college in East London has been fined for making false claims that it earned affiliation to Cambridge University for offering students "the best possible educational experience in the heart of the UK".

The Empire College London, based in Forest Gate, Ilford, Essex, and Arif Khan, its director of communications, were fined a total of £4,000 and forced to pay £2,000 in legal costs by the judge at Snaresbrook Crown Court last week.

The judge said that by making false claims, the college had gained an unfair advantage over those that were truthful in their publicity.

An investigation into the college was initiated last year by Newham Council's trading standards and consumer protection unit. The Home Office had raised concerns after a high number of applications from prospective students in India, Pakistan and the Middle East for study visas.

The council's investigators discovered that the college had published a 2004-05 prospectus offering bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in fields including business, information technology and law, when it did not have degree-awarding powers.

The college claimed on its website to be affiliated to Cambridge University and displayed the university's logo on the site.

After a day and a half in court, Empire College - formerly of 485 Romford Road, Essex, and now of Forest House, Clements Lane, Ilford, Essex - pleaded guilty to a total of 12 charges under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968.

Andrew Baikie, council member for public protection at Newham Council, said: "It is shameful that a college should exploit the lack of local knowledge of overseas applicants."