A business college is planning to sue Sky News for libel over a story alleging that it was involved in an immigration racket.
The London College of Business (LCB) has instructed the media lawyers, Simons Muirhead & Burton, to take legal action.
The Sky News story – broadcast on 29 March and published on the channel's website - claimed that a member of LCB's staff, Dr Javed Ahktar, had helped foreign students to buy qualifications, which enabled them to obtain work visas to stay in the UK.
LCB, which is based in Barking, east London, denies that Akhtar has ever been a member of its staff or had any contractual relationship with the college.
The college says he introduces potential students to institutions in return for a "finder's fee".
It has posted a statement to that effect on its website and a college spokesman said it was taking legal action "to send a clear message to the government, UK Border Agency and current and future students that they can have complete trust in the college's integrity."
It claimed that Sky News has now amended its online article and also removed a video report.
Though a Sky News spokesperson said a statement would be issued, none was forthcoming by the time of writing.
