University students can often be found working late into the evening, scrambling to finish their assignments by dawn.

But at Queen Mary University London (QMUL), it is the “overworked” lecturers who have been burning the midnight oil, after they were caught sleeping in their offices overnight.

This week, academic staff were warned by the university’s management that if they continue to stay in university buildings during the night they could face disciplinary action, citing health and safety concerns.

In a letter sent to all staff, the university threatened to punish those who continue to defy the work curfew, as it warned that doing so could jeopardise their safety in the event of a fire.