Hired: But Sir Alan Sugar's new apprentice Lee McQueen has been condemned for lying on his c.v.

The fury at the decision to award a £100,000 job in this year's The Apprentice to a salesman who lied on his CV refused to die down yesterday.

Even the Prime Minister weighed into the outcry in the business community that a liar should be seen to prosper, rather than be penalised.

On Wednesday, Lee McQueen, 30, was crowned the surprise winner of the BBC1 reality show despite pretending to go to university for two years.

In fact, he had only attended Thames Valley University for four months.

At his monthly press conference, Gordon Brown said: 'I think people should tell the truth. I think in this case someone exaggerated what they had done.

' Alan Sugar is perfectly capable of making his decisions and we should support him in the decision that he made.

'But generally my advice to people is to tell the truth when they are applying for jobs.

'Because as was found in this case, it always comes out anyway and it became known that an exaggeration had been made.'

Business lobby groups yesterday warned against the hazards of lying on a CV to get a job.

People can be fired as quickly as they are hired for failing to tell the truth about their past achievements to their employer.

While a lie, such as getting a first-class degree from Cambridge when you left school at 16, may get you a job, it can get you the sack even quicker.

One of the most famous CV-cheats was Alison Ryan who was hired to a £125,000 prestigious job as director of communications at Manchester United.

The Apprentice winner didn't own up to the misinformation on his c.v. when he was first challenged about it during an interview on the show

She boasted that it was 'a dream come true' but a Daily Mail investigation revealed that she had lied about her past. Fans quickly nicknamed her 'Alison Wonderland.'

Jo Causon, director of corporate affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, said: 'Lying on a CV is unwise and unacceptable.

'It is not a criminal offence, but obtaining a job or promotion on the basis of misinformation could put you, or your employer, in a difficult position.

'Checking whether information is accurate is easy and if found to be a lie, no matter how 'white', can destroy trust and reputations in an instant.'

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Peter Jones, entrepreneur and star of the BBC's other hit business show Dragons' Den, said: 'It is a fundamental issue and it would be for me. I wouldn't employ him.'

But research revealed yesterday that lying on a CV is much more common than millions of honest job applicants may realise.

A quarter of bosses have withdrawn job offers after discovering a lie, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Deborah Fernon, the institute's recruitment adviser, said: 'A CV is not the best place for modesty. There’s nothing wrong with selling yourself when you're applying for a job.

'But if you lie on your CV, you need to prepare to be caught.  And if you do get caught, you could get fired.

Gordon Brown: The PM said people should tell the truth

'You may be lucky enough to get an employer like Sir Alan Sugar who is willing to give you a second chance. 

'But then most job interviews don’t last 11 weeks and don’t offer so many second chances. Employers still place a high value on honesty.

'One little lie on your CV could be enough to leave you out of a job, and with even more explaining to do next time you’re in a job interview.'

She added that people should be careful about the references put down on their CV as the vast majority of bosses 'mostly or always' check them.

The Forum of Private Business said telling lies is 'unprofessional and unfair'. The British Chambers of Commerce said it sets 'a dangerous precedent.'

Mr McQueen has said that he is 'ashamed' of his decision to exaggerate his university education, which he blamed on his lack of confidence.

He said: 'It just shows my frailties and insecurities about my education.'