FURIOUS student Nick Smith has criticised his university after being given just one day's notice to vacate his hall of residence during exam week.

The 19-year-old computer engineering student of Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College was shocked to find a letter from his accommodation officer giving him one day's notice to vacate his room.

A faulty boiler at the John North Halls of Residence, on Marlow Hill, was the reason for the officer's decision but Mr Smith says that previous complaints about problems with the accommodation had fallen on deaf ears.

"We felt that we were living in squalor. Promises were made telling us our problems would be addressed but nothing was ever done," he said.

"It was just the way they went about it that annoyed us. We didn't even know the boilers were being looked at and next thing we were told we had to have everything transferred to another hall across town in just 24 hours slap bang in the middle of our exams. It's disgraceful."

Ian Thomson, head of Campus Services, said: "A routine boiler service pointed to the fault and aside from letting the students live without hot water the only option was for them to move."