A disabled student may be unable to attend lectures during the planned firefighters' strike, because he is a "fire risk".

Richard Shakespeare, who studies at the University of Derby, has been told he could pose a danger if crews go ahead with a walkout next week.

The 19-year-old, who suffers from cerebral palsy, will be restricted to working on the ground floor of the university during any strike.

But Mr Shakespeare, a business management student, says the restrictions will make studying much more difficult.

'Not practical'

He told BBC Radio Derby: "Well I suppose to a degree it is true - there is an element of risk because I am not going to file down the stairs quite so quickly.

What they will do in the end I'm not sure

Richard Shakespeare, student

"It is not particularly helpful as most of my lectures are upstairs."

He said he would miss out on tuition and group working by being left downstairs.

"What they will do in the end I'm not sure. Because of the volume of people and space it is not practical to move everything downstairs."

'Drags us down'

Mr Shakespeare, and other disabled students at the university, will only be moved if threatened strikes take place.

The Fire Brigades Union and employers are in talks to try and avert next week's strikes over pay.

Fellow student John Ross said: "It is just wrong. They should have planned for eventualities like this.

"We have been working in our group for a year because it drags us down as well."

High-rise towers

The university said in a statement: "Safety is paramount for the university and particularly the safety of people who have mobility problems that may hamper their ability to leave our Kedleston Road campus in an emergency.

"Our site features a number of high-rise tower blocks and, to cater for anyone unable to leave by the stairs in an emergency, we have identified special refuge points where the Fire Service can aid their evacuation on arrival on site.

"However, in the event of a Fire Service strike these refuges would not be effective because the necessary emergency service call out times could not be guaranteed.

"After very careful assessment of the risks, we recognise that if there is a strike we will have no alternative but to restrict access for people with mobility problems to parts of University buildings above and below ground on any day of action.

"We will, as far as possible, make alternative arrangements for lectures and other activities to take place to minimise the disruption to those students effected."