Students occupying a university office have claimed they have been subjected to homophobic abuse as they near a week into their sit in.

Protesters sat in the office of University of Brighton vice chancellor claim that a member of staff told them to “get f****d up the a**e you bloody little q****s”.

The students are protesting in the building against over 100 redundancies set to be made to staff at the university.

The university declined to comment on the alleged homophobic abuse and said it is seeking an injunction to the protest, claiming a “considerable amount of damage” has been caused by the students.

In a statement, protesters from University of Brighton solidarity said: “Over the course of this occupation we have received homophobic language and other verbal abuse from employees of the university.

“We have been flooded with sewage and had a twelve-hour delay in receiving supplies to clean it up; during those hours we were continually asked to open the doors, let people in, and gaslit about our answers.

The Argus: Students unveiling a banner at the top of the buildingStudents unveiling a banner at the top of the building (Image: University of Brighton solidarity)

“There has been a continued lack of communication from the university. All we have received is threatening, in many cases incomplete, legal paperwork designed to frighten us.”

Students have been protesting after it was announced that 110 staff were set to be made redundant, with the university citing “generationally high” levels of inflation and financial pressures.

Protesters previously took to the streets outside of the university building that they now occupy to call on the vice chancellor to re-consider the redundancies.

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A University of Brighton spokeswoman said: “The University of Brighton has sought an injunction after a group of masked individuals forced entry into university offices in the early hours of Thursday, May 25.

“The university is aware that a considerable amount of damage has already been caused by those individuals through their attempt to barricade themselves into the premises.

The Argus: Cockroft buildingCockroft building (Image: The Argus | Uni of Brighton solidarity)

“The university has tried to engage with the individuals constructively and has drawn their attention to particular concerns regarding their health and safety and pre-existing problems with toilet facilities in the office suite.

“University staff have been instructed to avoid confrontation and have sought to engage with the individuals in a constructive manner.”