Universities call off their merger plan after protests from professors

Plans to create Britain's biggest university by merging two of the country's most prestigious academic institutions collapsed yesterday after a staff campaign against the scheme.

In a surprise announcement, University College London and Imperial College said their plans to merge had been abandoned, admitting that their best interests were "not served" by joining forces.

The decision comes after more than 100 of UCL's professors, including the eminent geneticist Steve Jones and famous alumni such as the novelist David Lodge and the playwright and broadcaster Jonathan Miller, campaigned against the merger. The news was a blow to Sir Derek Roberts, the acting head of UCL, and Sir Richard Sykes, Imperial College's rector, who were behind the proposal.

The two former captains of industry – Sir Derek was deputy managing director at GEC while Sir Richard oversaw the merger of Glaxo with SmithKlineBeecham – had argued that by joining forces to create a giant institution with a turnover of more than £800m they would become "a global player" in an increasingly international market. They had hoped to create a "super university" in London to rival Oxford and Cambridge.

A consultation on the proposals was due to close on 19 December but the process was halted a month early, because of the strength of feeling against the merger.

Sir Derek admitted yesterday that his attempts to win over his academic staff had failed "so it seemed best to halt the process."