A college has withdrawn a student's place four days before the start of term after admitting its disabled facilities would not be ready in time.

Hayriye Mehmet was due to start at City College Brighton and Hove last Tuesday but with just days to go was told the college could not accommodate her wheelchair.

The 19-year-old was told in an answerphone message that her place was being deferred for a year because building work was behind schedule.

Days earlier, the college had reassured Hayriye, who has cerebral palsy, arrangements were being made to accommodate her.

Now Hayriye, from Barcombe Road, Brighton, could be forced to abandon her plans to study travel and tourism management and kiss goodbye to her dreams of working as an airline supervisor.

She said: "I don't really know what to do now. I'm sitting at home with no job, no money and nothing to do. I've got a brain and I want to use it.

"If I'd been given more notice, I could have looked at other courses. Now I suppose I'll have to see about trying to find a job but it won't be the job I want."

The college is undergoing a £7 million refit after changing its name from Brighton College of Technology on September 1, promising "a new name, new image and newly refurbished buildings".

Hayriye applied for her course a year ago and was accepted.

She said: "They told me they were having building work done over the summer but would be ready to take me on September 25.

"Two weeks ago, I rang to check everything was all right and they said the rooms I was using would have disabled access.

"They shouldn't make false promises. I'm upset and angry. They shouldn't have told me by answerphone.

"There's got to be some discrimination law or something, this can't be right."

In a statement, the college said it was "extremely sad and sorry" for the situation faced by Hayriye but it had offered her a place in the expectation disabled access would be in place by the start of term.

Unfortunately, building work had been delayed and full disabled access would not now be in place before October 2002.

The college said it was now clear that with so much building work going on in the area a risk could be posed to student safety.

The college said once the buildings were accessible, Hayriye would be top of the list of applications.

Former university lecturer Dr Hassan Davoodi, a member of Brighton and Hove City Council's disabled access advisory group, said the college could be faced with a penalty under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

He said: "It is extremely shameful that even some academic establishments can't seem to understand the very important issue of access and accessibility for disabled people. But there is help out there for them."

He said people in Hayriye's position could call the Disabled Rights Commission helpline on 08457 622633.