The NUS has become embroiled in a row after it abolished the women's toilets at a trans conference.

Its Trans Steering group account provoked outrage when it tweeted that the women's toilets at the conference in Manchester had been turned into gender neutral facilities - while a men's toilet was left unchanged.

The annual Trans Students Conference, at a Holiday Inn in Manchester, ran for two days and ends today.

According to the group the facilities include "a disabled toilet with a gender neutral sign, gender neutral toilets (formerly women's toilets), another disabled toilet and men's".

The pronouncement sparked debate online with critics saying that the change discriminated against women.

Actress Jane Slavin, who has appeared in Lewis, Coronation Street and Casualty, said there were "few enough women's toilets as it is".

"Even if you disregard the safe space we need more loos because of biology. We are half the human race," she said.

Producer and writer Tracy King said: "You made the women’s toilets gender neutral but not the men’s? I doubt that’s legal given your obligation to not give men something you don’t also provide for women."

The Trans Steering Group responded by saying: "We weren't able to make all the toilets gender neutral due to some stipulations by the venue."