The investigation found more than 600 students were caught red-handed cheating in university examination halls.

Crib sheets were found in textbooks and written on hands as well as etched onto pencil cases.

Candidates were also caught talking to each other, using mobile phones, copying fellow students and getting other people to sit exams for them.

The survey of 73 universities in the UK revealed that 614 students were caught cheating in formal exams last year.

A National Union of Students spokesman said: “We support universities in their efforts to stamp out cheating and plagiarism.”

The figures for 2006/07 year were revealed under the Freedom of Information Act.