Manchester university students tear down campus fencing

Scores of students at Manchester University's Fallowfield campus protested outside their halls of residence after waking up to find fencing being built around their campus.

The fencing blocked off green areas, restricted movement between buildings and blocked off some entry and exit points.

In a statement, the Vice-Chancellor Prof Dame Nancy Rothwell said the fencing had been a safety measure and that there "was never any intent to prevent students from entering or exiting the site".

She apologised to students for not informing them it would be built before construction began and confirmed it would be taken down again the next day.

Under the new lockdown rules in England, university students have been told not to move back and forward between their permanent homes and student homes during term time. The government says they should only return home at the end of term.

Read more: Students tear down 'prison-like' fencing