Sir William Stubbs should never have lost his job as exams watchdog in the row over A-level grades, according to the head of the Commons education committee.

The MP Barry Sheerman, who chairs the education select committee, says the A-level row was blown up out of all proportion.

Describing Sir William as "one of the country's finest civil servants", he said he should never have been sacked from his job as head of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

The department buckled under media pressure and lost its head

Barry Sheerman MP

Mr Sheerman, whose committee is investigating the QCA, has accused the BBC Radio 4's Today programme of hyping the story.

"Many of us think that the Today programme led the media frenzy about all the fuss and have a heavy responsibility for much of the undermining of the AS and A2 levels," he said on the Today programme.

University figures out on Wednesday showed that only 16 students changed their university courses as a result of regrading of A-levels.

A further eight students who had no places have all got places to start in 2003

'End of the civilised world'

Barry Sheerman said: "Few people were really affected.

"Of course the QCA has some responsibility because it communicated poorly, and the department is responsible because it buckled under media pressure and rather lost its head.

"And the Head Masters' Conference led these stories that it was the end of the civilised world as we know it."

When Mr Sheerman made his attack on Today, the programme's presenter Sarah Montague accused him of trying to "shoot the messenger".

Later, a spokesperson for the programme said:" It was a big story at the time. We did not exaggerate it.

"It's only in retrospect that we realise it did not affect as many people as everyone thought.

"It was a story of national importance which was raised by schools, pupils and examiners - and the government went on to launch an inquiry about it."

The Tomlinson inquiry into the A-level fiasco found that Sir William Stubbs had acted in accordance with his powers as exams watchdog, but said some exam boards felt themselves under pressure to keep grades to a similar level as last year.

Sir William Stubbs has threatened to take legal action against the government if he does not receive an apology and compensation over his sacking.