Activists have attempted to stop appearances by speakers such as Germaine Greer

Feminists who believe that transgender women are still men should not be barred from speaking at universities because their views do not break the law, students have been told.

A 51-page set of guidelines also informs students that views that “offend, shock or disturb others” are not grounds to prevent someone expressing them. Concerns have been raised that free speech at universities is being restricted because groups have deemed that some opinions are too offensive to be heard or amount to hate speech.

The guidance says that peaceful protests at events are a healthy part of debate but that they cannot be allowed to stop events taking place, “shut down debate or infringe the rights of others”.

It also says that student complaints about lecturers