A study centre for dyslexic children has gone bust -- leaving scores of pupils with nowhere to continue their studies, and staff fighting for their wages.

The Oxford Centre for Neuro-Cognitive Studies (OCNCS), based in New Road, Oxford, has been forced to close its doors after its chief executive, Victoria Jagne, realised she had cash-flow problems.

The Charity Commission is investigating two complaints against the organisation, relating to possible maladministration and mismanagement.

Ms Jagne said she was "bitterly disappointed" that the centre -- which opened in September 2004 and which took up to 40 pupils -- had failed.

Staff are still waiting for their wages, with some owed pay from mid-March. Ms Jagne called staff at the weekend to tell them not to come in because she could not afford to pay them.

She said: "I feel like I have let a lot of people down. It just became impossible to keep the staff, so they all had to be made redundant. I am working on ways to make sure everyone is paid."

Last week, Ms Jagne, who has a dyslexic son, had to turn away pupils who arrived at the centre to take part in the after-school Bright Sparks programme, which the centre ran to help dyslexic children struggling at school.

She said: "I have told every parent and pupil myself that the programme will no longer be running. I am bitterly disappointed."

Ms Jagne also ran a shop, Gifted Ideas, from the same premises, which will close once stock has been sold.

Three office workers, a tutor, three learning mentors and three shop staff are affected.

Ms Jagne said two of her staff had already been paid and she expected to pay the remaining staff by May 13. The centre's accounts went into the red after it lost £45,000 of funding from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) in April.

It had only received grants worth £9,500 and was relying on the ODPM money.

The centre has also faced criticism over claims that Ms Jagne promoted its work by linking it to Prof John Stein, of Oxford University's department of physiology, who has done pioneering studies into dyslexia.

Ms Jagne said there used to be a link to Prof Stein's work on the website, but she removed this after he complained.

Prof Stein told the Oxford Mail: "My name was being used and the person running the charity claimed they worked here in the physiology department."

But Ms Jagne, who said she had attended Oxford University, said: "I have never linked John Stein with the centre. A John Stein in America set up a similar centre and that's where I got the idea."