A father and son say they have been stopped from getting on the same university course because they are related.

David and Michael Sharpe run the Essence Healthcare nursing agency in and around York with 54 qualified nurses on their books working in hospitals and care homes.

The pair, who work as nursing assistants at The Retreat, in Heslington Road, York, applied to do the same mental nursing degree course at Hull University starting this month, but have now been given different start dates.

But Hull University has denied any discrimination and blamed the situation on hold-ups caused by checks being carried out by the NHS and other agencies.

Michael, 21, said: "When we told the university, they were very enthusiastic and pleased that we were both going to apply. Subsequently, we both went in, went through the procedure and were invited to an interview.

"The same evening, we were telephoned, and offered places on the course, but for me to start in January and for my dad to start in September, on separate courses - on the grounds that we were related."

Dad David, 43, said: "Frankly it's an insult to me as I brought Michael up as a single parent - I'm totally disgusted.

"They led us on all the way and said we would be the first father and son they had had and we weren't made aware at any point that the fact we were father and son would cause a problem."

David said since setting up the business in May last year, it had gone from strength to strength.

He said it was also the most cost effective option for them to be on the same course especially as Michael does not drive and they live in Market Weighton.

They are now applying to York University to get on a similar course there, starting in March.

A spokesman for Hull University said: "The individuals concerned with this situation have both been successful and been offered places on the programme subject to entry requirements being met.

"However, the timescales involved with the processing of these applications has necessitated the university offering one of them a January 2006 commencement and the other a September 2006 commencement on the programme for which they applied.

"It would also have been extremely unlikely that they could have travelled together to clinical areas since individual students receive placements across the whole of the local NHS area."

Euan Taylor, admissions and recruitment manager at York University's department of health sciences, said: "We do not have a specific policy on this matter. All applications for courses at the department are considered on their own merits and separately from any other application received - be they from family members or from any other person."

Updated: 10:04 Monday, January 09, 2006