In Fact:

• King never described the position as critical.

• Indeed, he never made a press statement at all.

"Kevin Sinclair's handling of what was in fact a refusal by me to make a statement is a gross distortion," Mr. King told Salient.

He said that Sinclair had rung him and asked about the student accommodation situation.

"I replied that I couldn't make a statement without the authorisation of my executive and that I had no figures about accommodation on hand," Mr. King said.

However, Sinclair said he only wanted a few facts, such as the percentage of landlords who refused students flats because they were students.

"He gave no indication that his story was to be linked to a particular case of student tenants." Mr. King says.

King undertook to ring Sinclair back, which he had to do almost immediately because Sinclair said he was about to fly South and wanted to get the story tied up before he left.

King obtained some information from the accommodation service and rang Sinclair back.

"I told him that all students seeking accommodation through the university accommodation service had been catered for. But I said I knew of some students who were attempting to find flats independently and not having any immediate success.

"The only section of my non-statement which he quoted accurately was the remark about landlords and parties.

"The observation abut students unable to find accommodation he took out of the context of a reasonably satisfactory situation and labelled it "critical," in spite of my pains to point out that students using the accommodation service were adequately catered for with good quality flats approved by the welfare service.

"Sinclair's report of the conversation consists of a number of remarks taken out of context, and made appropriate to a particular story about which I knew nothing.

"I suggested to Mr. Sinclair that as we could not give him the information he needed, it wasn't worthwhile to write the story." Mr. King concluded.