Muslim student 'witch hunt' opposed

Ministers want universities to work with the police to report students suspected of holding violent extremist views.

But members of the University and College Union (UCU) voted unanimously to boycott the Government's call for academics to "inform on" their students.

Delegates at the union's annual congress in Bournemouth backed a motion which committed members to oppose the plans and "campaign against all attacks on civil liberties".

Cliff Snaith, a delegate from London Metropolitan University, condemned Home Secretary John Reid's hard-line approach to tackling the terrorist threat.

He told the conference: "I teach the law and I understand and teach the dangers of a surveillance culture.

"Lecturers inform students, they do not inform on their students. It is that simple."

UCU joint general secretary Sally Hunt said academics did not want to be transformed into "some quasi secret service".

"UCU delegates have made it clear that they will oppose Government attempts to restrict academic freedom or free speech on campus," she said.

"Lecturers want to teach students, if they wanted to police them they would have joined the force. Universities must remain safe spaces for lecturers and students to discuss and debate all sorts of ideas, including those that some people may consider challenging, offensive and even extreme."