Fourteen people were arrested following anti-cuts protests at Birmingham University amid claims of kettling and violence.

Nine men and five women were detained on Wednesday night on suspicion of aggravated trespass, causing damage and assault.

But West Midlands Police rejected claims that some protesters were "kettled" during the demonstration.

Protesters calling for free education and the living wage to be paid to university staff gained access to buildings at the site, leading university officials to call in the police at about 5pm.

Superintendent Lee Kendrick, who was involved in the policing operation, said: "We strongly refute any suggestions of containing or 'kettling' a lawful protest.

"Police were called to the site by the university as a result of demonstrators breaking into buildings, damaging property and assaulting staff.

"This may well have been billed as a peaceful protest but it escalated into a serious public order incident.

"The suspects were detained by police and required to give their details ahead of the pending criminal investigation - any that refused were arrested."

But organisers of the protest, which saw a banner unfurled on the university's landmark clock tower, claimed arrests were made after about 100 students were kettled for around four hours.

National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts activist Kirsty Haigh said: "What we saw from management and police was utterly disgraceful.

"As far as we know the arrests were all for refusing to give their names to the police.

"Universities everywhere are losing the argument on staff exploitation and privatisation - and the only argument we saw from them today was brute force."

The University of Birmingham said in a statement: "While peaceful protest is part of university life, the university will not tolerate behaviour that causes harm to individuals, damage to property or significant disruption to our university community.

"The actions of Defend Education Birmingham, a group which is not affiliated to the Guild of Students or in any way representative of the student body, included defacing buildings and property, throwing smoke bombs and fireworks, smashing down doors, damaging buildings ... and injuring staff.

"Given the serious nature of their actions, the university had no choice but to ask the police for assistance in restoring order."