UNIVERSITY places could be thrown into chaos today if the head of an independent inquiry recommends a total re-grading of A-level papers.

As the row over the deliberate manipulation of exam results escalates, Mike Tomlinson, former Chief Inspector of Schools, will outline his preliminary findings today after interviewing key players and examining documentary evidence.

It came as Education Secretary Estelle Morris faced calls to resign yesterday after being accused of interfering in the inquiry.

Sir William Stubbs, chairman of exams watchdog the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) accused Ms Morris of "pre-empting" the report by getting her officials to discuss with the exam boards how a total remarking of the 700,000 A-level papers could work.

Calls for her to resign were backed by Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith and Liberal Democrat education spokesman and Harrogate MP Phil Willis.

But the exam boards said there was "nothing sinister" or "unexpected" about Ms Morris' officials contacting them to make contingency plans for a total re-grade.

If all the papers are re-marked, it will could bring chaos to the universities and raise serious questions over possible legal action.

Independent headteachers have already threatened joint legal action against the exam boards.

But scores of individual students could also decide to sue after losing out on university places due to not getting the right grades as a result of any proven manipulation.

Philip Booth, legal advisor at Northumbria University, said he could not see how universities could be held legally responsible for something which was out of their control.

But he said students with boosted grades who tried to get back into their first choice universities after enrolling at a different one could find themselves legally pursued, as they would have entered into a contract to study for at least a year.