Whistleblower: UCE takes action against lecturer

The failed lecturer who sells essays to students to help them get through university faces legal action from her former employer, the University of Central England, after a THES investigation found she lied to overturn her dismissal from the university in 1996.

Elizabeth Hall, who now offers a "ghostwriting" service for students over the internet, was dismissed from UCE after complaints from colleagues about "a failure of conduct". But she managed to overturn the dismissal at an appeal, falsely claiming in her mitigation that her mother had suffered a stroke and required frequent care and attention.

The THES reported in January that doubts had emerged about Ms Hall's story. She admitted that her mother had not been severely ill, and has since confirmed that she wrote a fake doctor's note to save her UCE job.

This week UCE's vice-chancellor, Peter Knight, said: "The university has instructed its solicitors to commence proceedings against Ms Hall for recovery of the money she was not entitled to after her appeal against dismissal was upheld."

Ms Hall declined to comment.