MIKE German is today facing calls for his resignation over the Welsh Joint Education Comm-ittee row.

The Liberal Democrat leader in the Assembly and Deputy First Minister is also under fire for claiming that his former employers are conducting a "kangaroo trial" designed to destroy the Labour-Lib Dem coalition in Wales.

Mr German is facing calls to stand down from Plaid Cymru and Conservative Euro-MP Jonathan Evans.

Jeff Jones, chairman of the Welsh Joint Education Committee, said the "kangaroo trial" accusation by Wales' deputy first minister was "rubbish".

"He is a desperate man making desperate allegations," claimed Mr Jones today.

An audit report has raised concerns about Mr German's dealings when he was head of the European unit of the Welsh Joint Education Committee.

The report was due to be published in full this week but was delayed on the advice of the auditors' lawyers. However, sections of the report were given to journalists - including how the WJEC may have to pay back more than £1m to the European Union.

Mr German insisted political opponents have mounted a campaign to bring down the Lib-Lab coalition.

Liberal Democrats say Labour councillors, opposed to the coalition's plans to investigate the use of proportional representation in local council elections, are conducting a witch hunt.

Mr German has provided the auditors with answers to 130 questions about his work at the unit. But, despite the fact the report publication was postponed because some of his answers were found to be "unsatisfactory", he says he is not now prepared to co-operate with the inquiries.

He said: "Senior board members at the WJEC are conducting a kangaroo trial to bring me down. Against specific advice their draft report has been leaked to the media. Other papers have also been leaked and we have now had three days of allegations and selective leaking."

Mr German made allegations about the nature of some documents involved in the process - and that has led Mr Jones to say he could face legal action over his claims