Student news round-up: Racist tweet scandal at York hockey club - and an end to library fines in Sheffield

York University (complete with ducks) (Dick Davies)

York hockey team criticised for racist and sexist tweets

Members of the University of York hockey team used a private Twitter account to post tweets about how they enjoyed "stabbing black people" and saying "rape [is] still sex, it counts".

The messages were revealed following an investigation by student paper York Vision.

The hockey club's presidents insisted the account, named "UYHCSocialSecs" and apparently run by the club's social secretaries, had never been affiliated with the team. They said: "We want to give our sincerest apologies that this has happened. The views of four of our members by no means represents the views of the club."

A university spokesperson called the tweets "wholly unacceptable" and said an investigation had been launched in conjunction with the students' union "with a view to disciplinary action against the individuals responsible".

The York Tab later reported that two of the club's social secretaries had been permanently banned and two others had been removed from their committee positions.

Student's work enables hundreds to vote

Bulgarian nationals living in the south-west of England were recently able to vote in their national elections for the first time thanks to the efforts of a University of Exeter student.

Exepose reports that Pavel Kondov, a second-year international relations student, organised 70 Bulgarian citizens in the area to apply to vote in the UK. Mr Kondov worked with the Bulgarian embassy in London and recruited a team of students to help him.

He called the vote "a celebration", saying: "I don’t feel like I deserve any of my democratic rights if I’ve not fulfilled my single democratic obligation.

"The fact that 177 people travelled from all around Devon, gave up their time and effort on a Sunday, to cast their vote – that was both the most surprising and gratifying."

Matt Bate, the vice-president (activities) at the students' guild, said: "Pavel’s work is a wonderful example of students taking an active role in society and leading democracy."

Sheffield scraps library fines

Students at the University of Sheffield will no longer have to pay fines for overdue library books.

Forge Today reports on a new library policy that means students who delay returning books will be prevented from taking out others in the meantime, but will not be issued with fines.

In a statement the university library said: "We know you hate receiving fines, and we’re not keen on giving them either, so we’ll automatically renew your books for you and when someone else requests them we’ll give you a couple of days to bring them back to us."

Pornography website offers to sponsor Kent football team

The University of Kent has expressed outrage after Pornhub offered to sponsor its student football team, according to The Medwire.

The team got the attention of the website by jokingly putting its logo on their shirts after they failed to find sponsorship elsewhere. Pornhub then offered to sponsor them, but the university banned the club from playing in the kit.

A university spokesperson said: "The University of Kent sports department would never sanction sponsorship of this type – it is totally inappropriate. The team has been spoken with and will not be allowed to wear the shirts in question at any time."

A member of the club said: "We are struggling to see why they are having a problem."