Police have launched an investigation into a students' union diversity officer alleged to have tweeted the hashtag "kill all white men".

Goldsmiths' University union's welfare and diversity officer Bahar Mustafa sparked a race row by asking white people not to attend an event on diversifying the curriculum.

A petition calling for her to be removed from her job on the union then alleged she used "hate speech" on social media.

She had previously defended her position by saying that minority women could not be racist.

But Scotland Yard today confirmed officers are investigating allegations about her posts on social media.

A spokesman said: "Police received a complaint on 7 May about a racially motivated malicious communication that had been made on a social media account. There have been no arrests and enquiries are continuing."

It comes as Goldsmiths distanced itself from Ms Mustafa following her comments by saying she is "not an employee of the university and is not a student."

The university said it is in "active discussions" with the union, adding: "We are treating all concerns with sensitivity and with the utmost urgency.

"The Students' Union is independent of Goldsmiths, University of London. It is run by student officials elected by union members.

"Both the University and the Students’ Union are committed to fighting all forms of oppression, including racism, sexism and any other form of bigotry."

If the petition to have Ms Mustafa removed from her post on the union attracts the signatures of three per cent of Goldsmiths' student body, a vote of no confidence will be held.

The vote would require a two thirds majority for her to lose her job on the union.

In a response to the petition, Ms Mustafa, 27, acknowledged the use of the term "white trash" on an official Twitter account had been "not professional".

But she claimed the "kill all white men" hashtag - and other similar posts - had been "in-jokes and ways that many people in the queer feminist community express ourselves".

"It's a way of reclaiming the power from the trauma many of us experience as queers, women, people of colour, who are on the receiving end of racism, misogyny and homophobia daily," she added.

The Evening Standard has approached Ms Mustafa and Goldsmiths' Student Union for further comment.