STUDENTS at Edinburgh University are protesting over the UK-wide implementation of a new strategy to highlight students at risk of radicalisation.

A group of protestors are staging an overnight sit-in the the library amidst calls for university officials to publicly oppose the legislation and lobby for its repeal.

Prevent, which forms part of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015, places obligations on education institutions to monitor student activities and report students deemed to be at risk of radicalisation.

In a separate development, Edinburgh University has introduced a policy of monitoring the social media activity of student activists to keep abreast of campaigns and protests.

An internal document suggests security staff should monitoring social media where possible as a result of a need to have a "clearer strategy" to counter recent campaigns against university fossil fuels and arms investments.