A rumpus has erupted on campus after a group of horse-riding girls posed for a series of saucy seaside snaps.

Dressed in full polo gear and tight jodhpurs the cheeky students grinned for the camera close to Brighton Pier.

The group were promoting a forthcoming polo competition but their seaside escapades brought a wave of condemnation.

Dressed in full polo gear and tight jodhpurs the cheeky students grinned for the camera close to Brighton Pier (pictured)

Last night the 11 undergraduates were branded ‘a disgrace’ and accused of pandering to ‘1970s smutty postcard’ stereotypes.

Gee Riley, 21, said: ‘Stupid, stupid girls. They are supposed to be promoting the strong image of a female polo team but instead they are pandering to a sexist, outdated image of sportswomen.

‘It sends out the wrong message. What young girl is going to want to join this society if she thinks she’s going to be judged on the shape of her bottom? It think they are a disgrace and they need to wake up; this is the 21st century.’

Gee, a second year student at the University of Brighton, said: ‘It’s a 1970s smutty postcard cliche and at least one of them should have known it was wrong.’

The photo shoot for the Equestrian Society polo team took place on the beach and the promenade in Brighton on Tuesday.

One bystander said: ‘They were on horseback on the beach and there were quite a few people watching on with interest.

‘Then they dismounted and went onto the promenade where they started taking up these inappropriate poses for the camera.

'They were sticking their bottoms out and looking back at the camera in an inviting way - it was so, so wrong.’

The University of Brighton’s own website said the team captain ‘raised more than a few eyebrows among beach bathers'.

One bystander described the photo shoot as 'so wrong' and said the girls posed 'inappropriately' for the camera

Millie Edwards, a first-year student, said: ‘How could they be so gullible. It ends out completely the wrong message to other girls. Why would they want to do a sexually-suggestive and risqué photoshoot anyway? It doesn’t make sense.’

‘The Equestrian Society already has a dreadful reputation on campus of being full of posh girls without much between their ears and this won’t do anything to dispel that image.’

The polo team is taking part in this weekend’s National Universities Championship at Dallas Burston Polo Club in Leamington Spa along with 50 other universities.

Dede, the 22-year-old team captain who is studying International Business, joined team mates for a photo shoot by Brighton Pier.

Last night the 11 undergraduates were branded ‘a disgrace’ and accused of pandering to ‘1970s smutty postcard’ stereotypes

Team president, Luke Sandys-Renton, who is studying for his BA (Hons) in project management in construction, said: ‘We have had a great year and I wanted to end it with a really exciting photo, as a memento for all the team members and supporters.

‘Since October when I started the team, we have seen 25-plus people participate through the year, across all riding abilities.

'We have the attitude that the most important thing about the team is its accessibility and making everyone feel welcome when they participate whether this is competitively or just for fun.’

Last night a spokesman for the University of Brighton refused to comment on the photo shoot saying that, up until last night, they had received no complaints from students or the public.