STUDENTS are reporting lecturers if they turn up late for lessons - by sending text messages to university bosses.

Posters featuring a confidential hotline number have gone on display at Manchester Metropolitan University encouraging students to text if tutors are more than ten minutes late or cancel lessons at the last minute.

The Student Union posters were put up with the support of the university after complaints over lectures being cancelled. Weekly figures are passed to the university dean to monitor the number of late or cancelled lectures.

Some lecturers are said to be furious over the move.

The posters feature the slogan: `If you're on time, why is your class LATE?'

Nicola Lee, Student Union president, said they acted after concerns over students' work suffering.

She said: "We were approached by some students saying that their lectures had not been rearranged.

"Students should get what they are entitled to. I don't think it's disrespectful to say a lecturer is late."

But one lecturer, who did not wish to be named, said he and his colleagues found the posters 'an embarrassment' - especially when taking prospective students around the campus.

He claimed some of the posters had already been taken down.

He said: "It looks terrible and many of them get taken down. It creates a very negative impression."

Professor Kevin Bonnett, deputy vice-chancellor, said: "I don't know if the lecturers will all be happy but they should be. We've had a university student experience agreement for a couple of years which sets out what we expect from our students and what our students can expect from us.

"Part of that is that lectures take place on time and students are warned of changes, so students are perfectly at liberty to check that's happening."