Manchester University Union has been accused of running an unfair vote over a motion to twin with a Palestinian university union allegedly linked to Hamas.

Jewish and non-Jewish students running a campaign against the motion said the university had unfairly cancelled the week-long student ballot over a complaint that their campaign had received external funding.

The Jewish students said that the union had acted before it contacted their group and also, bizarrely, allowed a pro-Palestinian campaigner to lead the 'no-twinning' campaign.

Jewish students have been fighting to stop the union from increasing links with the West Bank al-Najah University. The union had proposed a new scholarship for a Palestinian student.

Those against the motion argued that the Nablus-based university's student body was partly run by Hamas's student wing, which this week backed the 19-year-old who killed a baby in the recent Jerusalem attack. It also posted a video glorifying Hamas.

The union also allowed a well-known far-left student activist to lead the 'No' campaign. Joseph Clough, a postgraduate who posted a message on Facebook explaining how he lobbied MP Gerald Kaufman to be more pro-Palestinian, was able to head the 'No' campaign because he was the first to sign up for it - under union rules, this meant he was its sole leader.

Mr Clough failed to submit a 'No' manifesto and resigned from the campaign days later.