Fresh doubts have emerged about the background of Labor MP Barry Urban after a British university he claims to have received a degree from in the 1990s could find no reference to him.

Leeds University, where Mr Urban says he obtained a bachelor of arts in health and physical education, responded to a series of questions from The West Australian yesterday as pressure grew on Premier Mark McGowan to validate the MP’s credentials.

The university’s database office said “there is no record of a Barry Urban” and that a further search by the university’s student archive team could find “no record of any individual of that name”.

Mr McGowan said yesterday that he had seen a document purporting to be Mr Urban’s degree, while dealing with the fallout from revelations that his MP had worn a fake police service medal for 17 years.

In a tense question time in Parliament, the Premier also revealed he had spoken to Mr Urban on November 8 — the same day The West Australian first asked the member for Darling Range if the Australian medal was genuine and how he came to be awarded it.

“It was then brought to the attention of my office and I had a brief conversation with the member for Darling Range on that afternoon, prior to my flight to China,” Mr McGowan told Parliament.

“He assured me there was nothing in it.

“Therefore, I am disappointed in him and I’m disappointed in what he advised the media and the public in relation to these issues.”

But the new questions about Mr Urban’s academic qualifications will further test the Premier’s patience as WA Labor continues to investigate the MP’s military and police service.

Mr McGowan said he was disappointed to be misled but was still giving his MP the benefit of the doubt until inquiries were completed.

One of Mr Urban’s most significant claims is that he investigated war crimes in Bosnia while on secondment from British police.

“He has my full confidence on the basis of what he’s advised me,” Mr McGowan told Parliament.

“His explanation is his explanation but to me wearing medals you’re not entitled to is something you shouldn’t do.”

Mr Urban was not at Parliament yesterday and Mr McGowan said the MP was receiving medical attention at home for the distress he was going through.

Mr Urban initially said he’d been awarded the medal by British police for serving in the Balkans between 1997 and 1998, and that anyone challenging the claim was engaging in a political smear campaign.

Two weeks later, he changed his story, claiming he’d been sent the wrong medal by police in the UK and was investigating why.

But a day later he released a statement saying he’d ordered the fake medal from a military store in WA because he thought he was entitled to one.

The medal is only ever awarded for Australian police officers who serve overseas in peacekeeping roles.