THE redundancy total at Halton College has been cut from 177 to 139.

But the college scandal, which has cost more than £750,000 to date, may reach still further as it emerged this week that acting principal John Bolton has been asked to investigate the roles played by senior management.

The numbers have fallen through retirements, staff leaving and voluntary redundancies.

Unison's Keith Bradley said that unions and management were in talks with arbitration service ACAS over compulsory redundancies but, whatever happened, 177 people would be gone by June.

"You are still talking about 177 people leaving the college through natural wastage," he said.

But there is fresh conflict looming: "The college has organised an inspection of the staff and it is clear that the staff do not wish it to take place. It's the worst thing for morale.

"If we get told that it is going ahead then we are going to have to consider our members' positions."

This inspection is due to start next week, although unions hope it will be postponed because staff view it as a way of picking redundancies.

On the senior management issue, Mr Bradley said: "From day one, we have been saying that this investigation should have been wider. They have got to question themselves."

Mr Bolton and chairman of governors David Taylorson were called before MPs on Monday as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held a session on the problems at the college.

Derek Twigg, Halton MP and a PAC member, said: "I think the PAC hearing showed that there were serious failings in the system. All those weaknesses were highlighted."

Special mention was made for Deloitte Touche, the college's auditors.

"They got heavily criticised. They were both the internal and external auditors and neither of them picked any of this up," said Derek.

And he added that the Government has now promised to help Halton College by allowing a gradual payback: "I've got it on the record that they will look at staggering the payback of the moneys that were overclaimed."

Meanwhile legal advice is being taken on whether the college can claim up to £40,000 from Mr Jenkins - paid as performance-related component of his salary.

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