Fraud squad investigates colleges

SOUTH Wales police fraud squad says it is launching an investigation into a number of further and higher education colleges. Detective inspector Tony Neale said the enquiries would focus on grant applications to the European Social Fund following a complaint received from the Department for Education and Employment. A spokesman for the DFEE said it was not known how many colleges were involved at present and declined to name those under suspicion. Four sets of auditors have conducted probes and their reports are still awaited.