Peter Mathieson said that any transphobia would not be tolerated

The principal of the University of Edinburgh has been accused of “suppressing women’s rights” after he backed transgender activists in a row over “transphobic” stickers on campus.

Professor Peter Mathieson has angered feminist campaigners after assuring students that he would not tolerate “offensive stickers” that have appeared on university grounds since last summer. Some of them are understood to say “Female is a biological reality” and “Woman. Noun. Adult human female”.

He promised that those responsible for the stickers would be traced through CCTV and disciplined. Police Scotland had also been contacted, he said.

In a letter to students, he wrote: “The university has a zero-tolerance stance towards harassment, bullying, discrimination and victimisation of any kind — this includes zero tolerance towards transphobia. All members