Crowds of undergraduates at Manchester University trampled on the barrier and set off flairs in the Fallowfield area of the city
Crowds of undergraduates at Manchester University trampled on the barrier and set off flairs in the Fallowfield area of the city
Furious students last night ripped down a metal fence erected around their halls on the first day of England's new coronavirus lockdown.

Crowds of undergraduates at Manchester University trampled on the barrier and set off flairs in the Fallowfield area of the city.

Pictures showed tradesmen putting up the huge 6ft blockade for the four-week shutdown as scores of residents claimed it would have had a 'devastating' impact on their mental health.

Joe Hindley, 19, a first-year maths student, said: 'We've just been really frustrated. There's no benefit we can see to them being up.'

He added: 'They've said something about it increasing our safety but from what we can see it's a complete waste of money.'

One student, who asked to remain unnamed, told MailOnline: 'The consensus amongst the student population is that this is incredibly dehumanising.'


Another added the university had relayed 'absolutely no information' about the fencing and that they only told students at 3pm Thursday.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell last night apologised for the 'concern and distress' and said it was meant to protect students from non-university visitors but would be removed today.

The fences were erected on Thursday at the University of Manchester's Fallowfield campus as a 'security measure' to 'help avoid the mixing of households'.

But the measure - which was not explained to residents until after the fences went up - caused unrest among students, who protested on Thursday evening and pulled the barriers down.

Joe Hindley, 19, a first-year maths student, said: 'We've just been really frustrated. There's no benefit we can see to them being up.' Pictured: The fence being torn down
Joe Hindley, 19, a first-year maths student, said: 'We've just been really frustrated. There's no benefit we can see to them being up.' Pictured: The fence being torn down
The fences were put up around the outside of the campus, with security checks on the way in, and between blocks.

While they did not prevent students from entering or exiting the campus, they did bar passage between the different blocks of halls.

Ben McGowan, a first year politics and sociology student, said the reaction from students was an accumulation of frustration built up since they arrived in September, with students subjected to lockdowns and restrictions.

The 18-year-old said he had been disappointed with how the university has handled the coronavirus situation, saying he felt there had not been enough support or guidance.

'I think there was a boiling point when they put up those fences,' he told PA. 'It was a final breaking point for most students.'

Mr McGowan said he was unimpressed with the apology and that it was 'way too late'. He added: 'It showed just how badly thought through it was.'

One Twitter account said: 'Have we not had enough tragedies at our uni over mental health?! The impact this is going to have will be devastating'.

Another posted: 'After absolutely no communication from the university we're being fenced in by the University of Manchester.

'After asking the workers we were told it won't be the whole way round but we have heard nothing from the uni and they've offered no support.'

A social media user said: 'Imagine our uni is fencing us in for lockdown after there have been several major issues with student's mental health - lockdown was already going to be tough for most and this is going to make it 10x worse'.

'Think I'm speaking for everyone when I say there was absolutely no email received on any email accounts I have registered with the uni,' a student wrote.

'The levels of anxiety this can cause in an already tenuous time is ridiculous, complete disregard for student welfare'.

One Twitter user complained: 'Absolutely vile to fence in students considering someone has already passed away from suicide on the fallowfield campus, with NO prior warning, despite you claiming an email has been sent, causing mass panic.'

'Feeling like a prisoner rn and couldn't feel better!' one said. 'Thank you so much this is so good for everyone's mental health'.

Another student said: 'Woke up this morning to find that the uni is LOCKING us in our buildings by putting up fences without any communication.

'As if lockdown wasn't going to be hard enough and like our mental health wasn't already f****d they go and do this'.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dame Rothwell said in an email to students at around 8.30pm: 'I sincerely apologise for the concern and distress caused by the erecting of a fence around our Fallowfield Halls of Residence. This was not our intention - in fact quite the reverse.

'The fencing was intended as a response to a number of concerns received over recent weeks from staff and students on this site about safety and security; particularly about access by people who are not residents. There was never any intent to prevent students from entering or exiting the site.

'The fences are being taken down from Friday morning and students are being contacted immediately. Alternative security measures, including additional security patrols are being put in place.

'I apologise once again for the issues caused by this incident.'

A spokesman for Manchester University earlier said: 'In response to the national four-week lockdown we are introducing new security measures at key entrance points to our campus, accommodation and main pedestrian routes to help keep our students, our staff and our community safe.

'A security presence will be increased in these areas and fencing displaying important Covid-19 health messages will be installed.

'This fencing is designed to help highlight main entrance areas, where security staff will ensure that only students who live in that accommodation can access safely and help avoid the mixing of households.'

Universities have come under fire in recent weeks for clamping down on students in their halls of residence amid fears of rising cases of coronavirus.

Students in Bristol organised rent strikes and called for reductions in rent, while Edinburgh University fined undergraduates who escaped their halls.