Widespread disruption hit West Midlands university campuses yesterday as lecturers refused to teach in a pay strike.

The action, part of a national campaign, saw the start of a boycott on assessing coursework which threatens to prevent students' graduating.

Yesterday's strike came as relations between staff and employers got increasingly bitter.

Lecturers say bosses have failed to honour pledges to use increased funds from tuition top-up fees to address a '40 per cent' real term drop in pay over 20 years.

But the Universities and Colleges Employers' Association (Ucea) accused unions of using students as "political pawns".

Universities were affected by the day of action which saw a rally at Birmingham University attended by 300 people.

Lectures and tutorials were cancelled as students and staff were met by picket lines.

Martin Machon, assistant general secretary of the Association of Univers ity Teachers' (AUT) regional branch, said: "The campuses I visited looked really quiet. Members are angry because of the way they have been treated. It is a betrayal of promises. Ucea promised they would engage in urgent talks but that won't happen for a month."

The AUT with NATFHE, which represents lecturers at former polytechnics, have submitted a joint three-year 23 per cent pay claim.

They want ten per cent this year with a commitment of increases over coming years.

Sue Davis, regional official for NATFHE, said: "Vice-chancellors' salaries have gone up 25 per cent in three years. There is a feeling money is being swallowed by management. Alan Johnson, the former minister for higher education, promised a third of top-up fees would go to lecturers' salaries. We are seeing Ucea going back on those promises."

According to the unions, universities stand to gain £3.5 billion from the introduction of tuition top-up fees from September.

They are furious Ucea has so far failed to commit to directing it into lecturers' wages. Sue Blackwell, AUT's Birmingham University officer, said: "Morale is pretty low on campuses. There is a lot of anger. We have a Government that talks about education, education, education but wants it on the cheap.

"Tony Blair has this ridiculous agenda of 50 per cent of young people into higher education. If you pull students in and don't fund it you have a devalued education."

The AUT's general secretary Sally Hunt said industrial action had been "absolutely solid".

But Ucea's chief executive Jocelyn Prudence said she was "very disappointed" the unions decided to strike.

"I think students are being used as political pawns," she said.

She claimed a pay review was due on August 1. ..SUPL: