A strike fund set up by Bradford University lecturers is set to benefit hard-up students to the tune of £12,500.

The cash was generated when members of the Association of University Lecturers staged a one-day strike last summer in protest at pay and conditions.

They offered to hand over their salaries for the missed day's work and half has been used to launch the AUT Crisis Fund. The other £12,500 will be used to refurbish a number of general teaching areas around the campus.

Adrian Pearce, branch secretary of Bradford's AUT, said: "It was felt important that students should know that even though lecturers were on strike, they were still trying to help students.

"We also wanted to create a fund that people could put money into at any time if they wanted to."

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Bell, and many senior members of the university have also made donations to the fund.

Jo Geater, President of Bradford University Students Union, said financial hardship affected many students.

"We are very grateful to the AUT. The fund they have set up will help students who otherwise wouldn't have anywhere to turn."

The AUT Crisis Fund will be used to help students who do not qualify for other hardship awards. Students will be eligible for a grant or loan if, for example, they are waiting for the outcome of an academic appeal and have no other income, or it is an exceptional case of hardship where no other help is available.

A spokesman for Bradford University said the move was an illustration of the excellent relations between staff, students and management on campus.

Anybody who wants to make a contribution to the fund is asked to contact (01274) 233247.

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