Satanists will have every right to be part of the leadership team of Christian groups under "ludicrous" rules governing clubs and societies at Birmingham University, it was claimed last night.

The university's student union is forcing all clubs to comply with the 1994 Education Act which stating student societies have to be open to all.

But Pod Bhogal, communications director for the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, said the regulation was "political correctness gone mad".

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Earlier this week a group called the Evangelical Christian Union (ECU), was thrown out of the university's student union and had assets of #5,500 frozen for limiting members to believers.

The ECU urged the student guild to change its constitution to allow faith groups to restrict membership to those who shared their belief.

But the guild has voted against introducing the amendment.

Mr Bhogal said: "It really is political correctness gone mad. They are insisting non-Christians can take on the leadership of the Christian Union.

"It is really dangerous ground for all clubs and societies. You could have a situation where a Satanist or secular humanist could take part in the leadership team.

"An Islamic society would be vulnerable to having evangelical Christians on their leadership team."

Mr Bhogal added: "How would the gay and lesbian societies feel about having an evangelical Christian on their team?

"It just does not make sense. I don't think it is particularly well thought through."

Mr Bhogal - a Sikh who converted to Christianity when he was 23 - stressed the issue was not about individual beliefs, but the right to freedom of expression and speech. "The union is open to everyone," he said.

"But for voting members to participate in the leadership, being a Christian should be a pre-requisite.

"It would be ludicrous to insist someone with Labour leanings can be on the leadership of the Conservative Party and then claim the Conservative Party is discriminatory if it refuses."

The University of Birmingham's student guild was sticking by the principles of its constitution last night.

Richard Angell, president of the guild, said: "They are disaffiliated. Under the Education Act we are only allowed to let affiliated societies use our facilities. Because they don't comply we can't let them use our facilities."

He said refusal to allow non-Christians to be members would have "denied other students their right to join the society and limit membership on quite a tight doctrinal basis."

Mr Angell said the ECU's rules for membership were not just about being Christian but required members to be evangelical too.

"They are welcome to go through our recognition process. If they wish to become a society they are welcome to accept our mandatory clauses which we can't compromise on because it's the law."

A spokeswoman from Birmingham University said: "The University of Birmingham is aware of the internal dispute between the Birmingham University Evangelical Christian Union and the University of Birmingham Guild of Students.

"The University's charter, and general law, requires the university not to discriminate on the grounds of religion and the university is proud of the fact that its charter was one of the first in the country to include an anti-discriminatory clause."