Calendar banned by university shop

Union bosses say the calendar is offensive

A calendar showing scantily-clad students has been banned from a university shop.

The Girls of Manchester Universities 2003 calendar pictures a dozen female students from two of the city's universities.

In some pictures the girls' modesty is protected only by carefully-placed rose petals and chairs.

Students' union officials at Manchester University were worried that stocking the calendar in campus shops would offend potential students and put them off enrolling in the city.

'Double standards'

Women's officer Jenny Brown said the calendar would offend "a majority of students" and added youngsters could be put off from choosing the university as a result.

The calendar features women from Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU).

Neil Jeram-Croft, a third-year physics student at Manchester University who masterminded the calendar with his friend, Matt Pearson, said the union's decision smacked of double standards.

He said: "They have said they cannot stock it because they would get too many complaints.

"But they are putting out their own similar calendar, which is a bit of a double-standard."

Students are featured from two universities

Mr Jeram-Croft and law graduate Mr Pearson had hoped the union store - together with the shop at MMU - would be their primary outlets but they have now been forced to rely on sales from local newsagents and other city-centre stores.

"To say potential students might be put off - that's ridiculous," Mr Jeram-Croft added.

Ms Brown denied the union was being hypocritical by banning one calendar and stocking another.

In a statement, a spokesman for the union added: "The nature of the calendar was inappropriate in terms of the ethos of Manchester Students' Union."