Presenting evidence to the House of Commons Education Select Committee, Mr Triesman said that greater emphasis needed to be paid to the admissions process for higher education.

David Triesman says more training and research are needed for admissions officers

Extra funds should be available for training and research to improve how universities interview and select students, said Mr Triesman.

"Admissions work has little status or reward and gets minimal resources. All that admissions tutors get is the blame when the balance of the intake is wrong," said Mr Triesman.

"That needs to change - the job needs to carry status and remuneration which reflect its importance.

"No one, least of all our admissions tutors, wants to see universities turned into playgrounds for the children of the rich.

"But, with a university education becoming more expensive, with a decreasing proportion of expenditure being met by the government, that could happen unless urgent action is taken now," said the union leader.

Mr Triesman also made his own contribution to the case of the state school pupil, Laura Spence, who was rejected from Oxford University but given a place at Harvard University.

This was a "scandalous" case, said Mr Triesman, urging universities to widen access.