An Oxford University college "has a case to answer" in a row over its selection procedures for deaf students, a leading disability campaigner has said.

Brasenose College is at the centre of a controversy over its admissions policy following its decision to reject a deaf, state school, candidate with six A grade A levels.

Anastasia Fedotova failed to win a place at the Oxford University college after a written exam and two interviews.

The row has triggered claims of "unconscious" discrimination against the disabled.

Veteran disability campaigner and Labour peer, Lord Ashley, said the college has some explaining to do.

"Brasenose College, as distinct from Oxford University, has a case to answer," he told the BBC.

The chair of the all-party parliamentary group on disability is not convinced that Brasenose had so many high scoring A candidates it could afford to dismiss the Manchester student.

"They should explain. Brasenose College has a duty to make a very clear explanation of why they have made this decision," he said.

And the peer - deaf himself - argued that a selection focus on presentation may necessarily be discriminatory.

"It's all very well to speak of the presentational skills of the student but in point of fact it is the skills of the interviewer that may be lacking because very few deaf people are understood by hearing people."

If special requirements allowing for deaf candidates were not made then the college's decision may have been unjust, concluded Ashley.

"If these requirements are not observed, it means the interviewer comes to a false conclusion about the ability of the student. And a false conclusion means lack of justice."

The college, he said, "should make a statement on this".

"Did they have a person skilled in deafness or did they not? And if they did not they should reopen the whole case."

Manchester MP Tony Lloyd has also called on Oxford University to explain its decision.

Anastasia's mother, Elena Fedotova, considers any discrimination to have been unconscious, resulting from the college's selection procedures.

"I don't want to accuse Oxford University of rejecting my daughter because of her disability. It's not the case of discrimination on purpose - not at all - but I think the fact that my daughter with her As was rejected does bring into question the university's selection methods," she told the BBC.

"Their approach to disabled people must be more flexible. They often lack the necessary presentation skills and all the interviews are about presentation skills. They also lack self-confidence. My daughter certainly lacks it."

But Oxford rejects allegations of discrimination - unconscious or otherwise.

The university's vice chancellor said it would be unfair not to put students through presentation tests as Oxford is based on a tutorial system.

Dame Fiona Caldicott insisted that the tough tests were necessary to sort applicants for a limited number of places.

"Many of the young people we interview are nervous, we do our very best to put them at ease but we have to ask them to show us through that process, to demonstrate to us, that they are the really bright young people that we should select rather than the many others who present to us," she said.

Oxford was working all the time to ensure tests are fair, she said, and colleges interviewed 90 per cent of candidates.

"We can stand up and show we are not discriminating against either state school or disabled candidates."

Oxford's admissions procedures were the centre of a major row two years ago after Gordon Brown accused the top university of being elitist.

That controversy followed the rejection of state school student Laura Spence by Magdalen College.

She subsequently went to Harvard and later said that, after her initial upset, Oxford had been in the right.

Oxford MP and senior Lib Dem, Dr Evan Harris defended the university.

"Ms Fedotova is clearly a talented student, but her excellent exam results alone do not provide evidence of unfair discrimination, said.

"Every unsuccessful applicant could claim unfairness and ask for an inquiry, but what really matters is whether the university has suitable admission procedures. From what I know of their published policies on disabled students and the training received by staff, they do."

Harris, who sat on the Commons Education select committee inquiry into admissions procedures after the Laura Spence affair- which cleared Oxford - said: "The universities should be applauded for these procedures, not attacked".