Britain has been urged to do more to protect Iraqi academics after the president of Baghdad University claimed his lecturers and students were being killed or attacked on a daily basis.

Speaking at Warwick University yesterday, Professor Mosa Al-Mosawe said 62 students and 28 members of staff had been killed since the end of the Iraq War in 2003.

A further 165 have been imprisoned, kidnapped or wounded, he said.

Speaking at a conference of senior international lecturers at the university, Prof AlMosawe said staff lived in constant fear of persecution.

"Every week we have one of our staff either killed, assaulted, threatened or kidnapped.

"Most things happen when the professors leave home to go to the university. We expect between 8.30am and 9pm to hear something.

"Colleagues try and protect themselves by changing the time they go to and from home or changing their route."

Prof Al-Mosawe said the coalition forces had failed to put in place measures to curtail the lawlessness unleashed following the invasion.

"This is the mistake of the coalition forces. They went in to occupy a country so they have to protect it but they haven't. That is why after the war we were in a dilemma."

He said Iraq's interior ministry was unable to provide information on who was targeting university staff and students.

But he called on Britain and other European countries to make it easier for those who were being persecuted to take up temporary residence within their borders.

"When a staff member is threatened he should go somewhere but most of the countries don't allow them because they have to get a visa. To do that takes a month and during that time he may be attacked.

"If you can assist them to get a visa to stay for two months, then the danger or threat will be greatly reduced."

The Council for Assisting Refugee Academics claimed the actual number of academics killed in Baghdad since the invasion was much higher.

It highlighted a study by the Baghdad Association of Teachers and the Brussels Tribunal which indicated the figure was nearer 300.

"We are becoming very concerned by what we see as a deliberate attack on academics in Iraq," said Prof John Akker, head of the council.

"We hear a lot about the military situation but what is not known is that academics are being deliberately targeted. There is a feeling that they do not want academics to survive in Iraq.

"We are concerned that there is no protection to allow those who want to escape and are being targeted every day of their lives to leave the country and come to the UK."

Prof Akker said Britain had a "moral" responsibility to accept refugees but claimed the emphasis on controlling immigration was keeping many genuine cases out.

"We are putting pressure on the British Government to rescue academics whose lives are in danger," he added.

A spokesman for the Home Office said the Government was "fully committed to the UK's proud tradition of offer-ing a safe haven to refugees".

He added: "We will consider all applications for asylum made within the UK or at its ports of entry.

"Specially-trained staff with access to comprehensive and up-to-date country information consider each claim for asylum on its individual merit.

"They determine whether the applicant has demonstrated a well-founded fear of persecution in a particular country for reasons of race, religion, nationality membership or a particular social group or political opinion."