A disabled student has criticised "stupid" rules requiring disabled university entrants to travel hundreds of miles for assessment.

Wheelchair-bound Michael Gibson, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, said regulations requiring disabled Students to travel to assessment centres in London and other large cities before receiving grants, were impractical and unnecessary.

Mr Gibson, from Highworth Road, Faringdon, has started a three-year engineering degree course at Cranfield University's campus in nearby Shrivenham.

But before embarking on the course he was told by Oxfordshire County Council's Education Department to attend an assessment in Westminster.

The 19-year-old undergraduate relies on an electric wheelchair, making it difficult for him to use public transport. He complained that it would have been almost impossible for him to travel to London.

Staff backed down following the intervention of Wantage MP Robert Jackson, who called on the Education and Employment Minister Malcolm Wicks to urge the department to conduct an assessment at Mr Gibson's home.

Mr Gibson said: "It is stupid that people have to travel to London and other large cities for assessment. It is not practical for people seeking disabled student allowances to travel so far, and it would have been virtually impossible for me."

Ian Crook, principal administrative officer at Oxfordshire County Council's Education Department, said the rules were designed to help disabled students.

He said: "Students go to the nearest centre. We would not expect anyone to travel further than they have to.

"The assessment is not something we can do in people's homes, as we have equipment which we like students to try out.

"Most students applying for the allowance aren't physically disabled and don't have mobility problems, but if people cannot get to the centre we will make it possible for them to do it in their own home or at the university if possible. The whole point is to help them not to make things difficult."