The Commission for Racial Equality has threatened to take the government to court over its proposals for university top-up fees.

In a further blow to the plans, ministers may be forced to endure a judicial review of the policy, having failed to put it through a race equality impact assessment.

"There is no evidence that the government's policy on tuition fees won't have an adverse effect on some ethnic minority groups... I am prepared to take the government to court over this," said CRE chairman Trevor Phillips.