THE former city council leader urged ministers to intervene in the ongoing crisis at a further education college to prevent "damage" to the education system.

Gordon Matheson, who stepped down earlier this month at the helm at Glasgow City Council, wrote to Angela Constance, the Education Secretary, calling for action over the situation at Clyde College.

Following the letter, which came after the suspension of college principal Susan Walsh by chairman George Chalmers, Ms Constance wrote to the board threatening to remove them under the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act.

In his letter to Ms Constance in June, Mr Matheson said the council's executive director of education Maureen McKenna had warned him that education in the city was suffering.

He said: "I recently met, at their request, with representatives of students and support staff at Glasgow Clyde College. They expressed serious concerns about their poor and deteriorating relations with the college board and in particular the chair.

"Our executive director believes that opportunities for innovation have declined in the city because of the uncertainty around the leadership of Glasgow Clyde College and the associated deterioration of relations between board and students.

"As city leader I can no longer stand by while damage is done to Clyde's reputation and a crucial part of vocational and lifelong learning in my city. I must ask that you now intervene to resolve matters. This situation been going on for too long now. It is time for you to act."

Ms McKenna also wrote to the Scottish Government to express her concerns stating: "There are basic issues regarding governance which concern me, such as, since the current chair took office no minutes have been made publicly available on the college’s website.

"There are also vacancies on the board and no steps have been taken to have these filled and broaden the membership of the board. However, my biggest concern is the continuing spend of public money on legal advice for the board."

Ms McKenna concluded by asking senior civil servants to take "whatever steps necessary" to address the concerns "for the benefit of the current and future students of the city".

The interventions emerged seven months after Mrs Walsh was suspended after concerns over her style of management and allegations of bullying were raised by senior officials from the college branch of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching union - although the wider membership did not see the document.

An official survey of lecturers found 24 per cent agreed with the statement that they had been "bullied or harassed" in the past year, but no formal proceedings have ever been brought.

Shortly after the suspension, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) initiated its own investigation into the way the issue was handled.

The subsequent report by law firm DLA Piper found Mrs Walsh was told about her impending suspension in a corridor within earshot of other staff - although this is disputed by some college officials.

Despite this, the report accepted the decision to suspend the principal was taken by Mr Chalmers on the basis of legal advice that took a "clear view" that suspension was "both recommended and warranted" in the circumstances. And he acted, the report said, "under express delegated authority set out in the constitution of the college".

Mrs Walsh, who is still currently suspended on full pay, was appointed principal of the newly-formed college in 2013 following the merger of Anniesland, Langside and Cardonald colleges.