A FORMER cabinet minister has called for an inquiry into the “outrageous” pay of university vice-chancellors after it emerged that one departing uni chief was paid more than £800,000 in a year.

Andrew Adonis , the former Labour schools minister, introduced the tuition fee system but said there is no public confidence in the system because vice-chancellors are “putting their snouts in the trough.”

It has been revealed that Bournemouth University chief Professor John Vinney is paid £305,000 a year and received a 20 per cent pay rise last year.

Prof Vinney, the highest paid public sector worker in Dorset, has seen his salary increase by more than half in five years.

The vice-chancellor of the Arts University Bournemouth, Professor Stuart Bartholomew, earns £217,534 per year.

Their salaries are considerably higher than those of other high-profile public sector bosses in the area including Dorset Chief Constable Debbie Simpson who earns £172,358, Bournemouth council boss Tony Williams who is paid £164,345 and Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch hospitals chief executive Tony Spotswood who earns around £190,000.

Mr Adonis called for an inquiry to be chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury after it emerged that the departing vice-chancellor of Bath Spa, one of the UK’s smaller universities, was paid more than £800,000 in her final year in the role.

The payment to Christina Slade, which include a £425,000 golden handshake, is thought to be a record for the higher education sector.

Glynis Breakwell, vice-chancellor of nearby Bath University, was forced to step down following an outcry over her £468,000 pay package.

Mr Adonis said: “It is straightforwardly outrageous what’s happening. I think the Archbishop of Canterbury should head the inquiry. He’s paid £80,000 a year for one of the most responsible jobs in the country. If he can look after the souls of the nearly 60 million people in the UK, he’s certainly capable of sorting out the pay of 130 vice-chancellors.

“This is a joke at the expense of students and unfortunately it’s rather a sick joke because students are now graduating with average debts of £50,000.”

Universities minister, Jo Johnson, has called on universities to restrain pay of senior management after research showed the average pay for vice-chancellors had risen to £278,000.

Adonis said tuition fees should be cut from £9,000 to £3,000, the level set when he introduced the system.

“The whole of the fee regime has become so diseased it may not be possible to continue. I’m very worried that the fees may have to go entirely because there just isn’t a basis for public confidence. Part of the reason is because of the way vice-chancellors are putting their snouts in the trough.”