More than half of students surveyed in York have experienced sexual harassment, according to a study.

The York Student Think Tank carried out the study at the University of York which found 51.62 per cent of students and 37.14 per cent of staff surveyed said they had experienced sexual harassment.

Just over 64 per cent of those affected were female students and 21 per cent were male, while aggressors were mostly identified as male (85.26 per cent).

The consultation was led by a team of seven students, and also found the most common type of sexual harassment suffered by students was "unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal" conduct of a sexual nature, while 58.33 per cent of staff said they had experienced "unwanted conduct" related to their gender.

Adela Alexandra Iacobov, who led the research, said just over 84 per cent of students had experienced sexual harassment during students nights out in town, and 50 per cent of staff members said it happened during the daytime on campus.

But out of 116 student and 10 staff respondents to the survey, only two of each group had reported it to the university.

She said: "I think the most important finding is how difficult it has been to tackle the issue given there was no accessible data at the university, and that the university’s support systems have been until recently complacent on the issue. Hopefully our recommendations will help the university and student tackle and confront the issue more effectively."

The report recommends the university should compile all its data and statistics on sexual harassment, make it easier for students and staff to report incidents, and improve education on how the university defines harassment.

A spokesman for the university said: "Any form of sexual harassment or bullying is unacceptable. The University aims to create a fair, welcoming and inclusive environment where all members of its community can fulfil their potential without harassment. 

"The University continues to work with the Students' Union and colleges to raise awareness of sexual harassment and provide additional help and support where appropriate. We will examine the report carefully and give it further consideration as we develop our policy and actions in this area."