Cambridge University has come under pressure to revoke the Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam’s honorary fellowship, as police in the city warn protests have left it "on the brink of total breakdown".

Three members of the Lords have urged the university’s vice-Chancellor, the Chancellor and the President of Wolfson College to rescind her title as a matter of urgency.

Baroness Bennett, chair of the recently formed All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hong Kong, Lord Alton, the group’s vice chair, and Baroness Northover, the Liberal Democrat Lords spokesperson on foreign affairs, wrote to university chiefs on Tuesday.

They blamed Ms Lam’s “hard line approach”, and said she has “compounded errors and blunders by refusing to resign” during the six months of unrest, which yesterday saw major clashes on two of the city's university campuses.

Protesters at the Chinese University used javelins and bows and arrows taken from a sports storeroom and at City University stockpiled bricks and petrol bombs as police fired tear gas.

The clashes were the first time police have moved on university campuses, and is likely to increase pressure on staff to protect their student population.

Standoffs also occurred in multiple neighbourhoods throughout the financial hub, including in the central business district around lunchtime, where some office workers joined in demonstrations.

Tensions have soared this week after a 22-year-old student died from a fall in unclear and disputed circumstances while police cleared protesters nearby.

Monday saw one of the most violent days of protests so far, when a protester was shot by police at close range and a pro-Beijing supporter was set alight.