Only weeks earlier, University College London, pictured, had asked for Sir Tim's resignation over alleged sexist remarks

The university at the centre of the Sir Tim Hunt sexism affair has admitted discriminating against its female staff.

University College London has been castigated by its academics and accused of hypocrisy after underpaying women at its Qatari campus.

The news comes weeks after the university asked for the resignation of Sir Tim, the Nobel prizewinning scientist who was accused of making sexist remarks in a speech.

The director of UCL’s outpost in the Gulf state condemned his institute’s policy of paying far lower housing allowances to married women than to married men as “morally and legally not acceptable” in an internal email released to The Times.

Senior staff were warned of a “major reputational risk for UCL” that could undermine the existence of