Team at Durham University had planned to recreate conflict between colliers, police and Thatcher government

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A miners’ strike-themed party organised by a student rugby team has been cancelled after being criticised as deplorable by university authorities.

Members of the Trevelyan College rugby team at Durham University had been due to depict the conflict between miners and Margaret Thatcher’s 1984 government.

Organisers of the “Forwards vs Backs” social event, due to take place on Wednesday, asked some students to attend with “flat caps, filth and a general disregard for personal safety” and “think pickaxes, think headlamps, think 12% unemployment in 1984”. Others were asked to dress as members of Thatcher’s government, with a view to reproducing the tensions that raged between the two sides, or as “working-class-beating-bobbies” or “Falkland war heroes” to inject some “variety” to the event.

However, the event was cancelled following complaints from the Durham Miners’ Association.

“We were appalled to learn of a social event advertised by Trevelyan College rugby club which referred to miners in incredibly derogatory terms and sought to trivialise the police violence at Orgreave,” the association said.

“We are pleased that Durham University and Trevelyan College took very prompt and appropriate action by cancelling this event. Unfortunately, this episode has caused a great deal of hurt and anger for many in the local community who are rightly very proud of their mining heritage.”

Guests were told to “expect a confrontation bigger than the Battle of Orgreave”.

The area around the university in County Durham has a rich history of mining, with many villages springing up around the pits during the 19th century as the demand for coal grew. At the height of coalmining in the UK, before the dependence on cheaper, foreign-bought coal, tens of thousands of miners worked in pits across the region.

The miners’ strike of 1984-85 brought clashes between miners and police in villages such as Easington Colliery. The end of the dispute saw the power of trade unions significantly diminished.

Owen Adams, the pro-vice-chancellor of Durham University, said: “Durham University and Trevelyan College utterly deplore this event, which is wholly unacceptable.

“The event has been cancelled by the students concerned. We are speaking to those students and we are considering what further action to take in due course.

“We know that most students are active and positive residents of their communities. Regrettably, there are occasions where student behaviour falls short of the standards we expect.

“We have a very active education programme that explains our code of conduct for those living in the local community and aims to enhance students’ sense of belonging. This code of conduct highlights that the university reserves the right to take appropriate action against those who fall short of these standards.”