Students call for president to stand down

MORE than 1,000 students have joined an online campaign to force the president of Staffordshire University's student union to resign.

It comes after student union president Assed Baig posted an article on the union website, containing a link to a site identifying 30 BNP members living within two miles of the University's Stoke campus.

It was removed less than 24 hours after it had been posted once The Sentinel contacted the union, which stressed the article expressed the views of an individual and not necessarily its other members.

Following the actions of Mr Baig, BNP Councillor Michael Coleman made a formal complaint to Staffordshire Police.

Mr Coleman said: "We're supplying the police with information and they are continuing to look into the matter.

"What Mr Baig did was dangerous because it will bring a reaction.

"He has the right to his opinions but what he did was a step too far."

The group has been created on social networking site Facebook and has 1,041 members – with hundreds of comments on Mr Baig's decision to direct students to a list of names and postcodes of BNP members.

Students have also commented on Assed Baig's decision to ban university liaison officer PC Keith Emery from the student union offices at the College Road campus.

PC Emery, pictured below, who has an office on campus, told The Sentinel he was asked to stop going into the student union offices as they were a safe zone for students to relax.

He said: "I was told that some students didn't feel comfortable with me being in the student zone. I respect the union's decision so I haven't challenged it but I do feel disappointed I have been excluded from the offices."

Sports journalism student Shaun Staff, who is a member of the Facebook group, said he couldn't believe it when he heard PC Emery had been banned from the offices.

The 21-year-old, who lives in Shelton, said: "It was a ridiculous and reckless decision.

"If people feel uncomfortable when a police officer is around then they must have something to hide.

"Assed Baig has the right to his opinions but what he has done is wrong and I think the best thing for him to do would be to resign."

A union spokesman said: "The union has a very good relationship with the police.

"The decision to exclude PC Emery from the student offices was based on experiences by a number of students who said they felt uncomfortable with a police officer around on a regular basis."

Mr Baig was unavailable for comment.