The SNP's cap on the number of Scottish students who can win a university place has come under renewed attack after it emerged that more than 14,000 applicants missed out last year.

Universities admissions body Ucas told The Daily Telegraph that 14,200 Scots who applied failed to win a place in 2019 - the equivalent of nearly three out of 10 applicants.

Although this was down on the 14,575 who missed out the year before, according to updated Ucas figures, the total is still around 60 per cent higher than before the SNP Government introduced "free" university tuition.

The flagship policy is only affordable because the Scottish Government imposes a cap on the number of places for Scottish and EU students, who are also currently exempt from tuition fees.

A damning Audit Scotland report published in 2016 found the cap has not kept pace with the demand for places, hence the large increase in the number of "unplaced" Scots since the SNP took power in 2007.

It emerged a year ago that school leavers with as many as eight A-grades in their Highers have been rejected from Scotland's most eminent universities in favour of English and non-EU foreigners who pay tuition fees.