AN artist who sprayed a university building with orange paint as part of a 'Just Stop Oil' protest has explained why she did it. 

Illustrator Holly Astle, who has created a number of murals around Falmouth, has explained why she took part in the protest in an email sent to Falmouth Vice Chancellor, Emma Hunt. 

In her email the Vice Chancellor Hunt, which has been seen by The Packet, Holly said: "It may seem odd to you that I chose to do this given that Falmouth, unlike Exeter, doesn’t have ‘oil money’ funding. So I wanted to take the opportunity to explain further.

"Students are staring in the face of social breakdown and economic collapse, and what I want to ask is what are you doing to address this? Your business is to serve students, but how can you possibly say that you’re succeeding in doing this when you don’t put this crisis at the forefront of everything you deliver?

"You hold a veneer of respectability through your sustainability sector, but even that lacks the real commitment to make change happen.

"I am asking that you rectify this immediately so that sustainability is the top priority, in order to actually have influence in senior decisions.

"However, what we are calling for is something far more fundamental than campus sustainability policies or institutional divestment. This is a failure of the entire higher education system.

"Universities need to be a beacon of justice and transformation in order to pave the way to a better future for their students, and this means stepping up in speaking the truth of this crisis.

"Thousands of students will be marching this November to the point of arrest, including many you have a duty of care for. I ask that you acknowledge what is happening here. You know why your students are choosing to do this, and you must now recognise what it asks of yourself. I wish for you to set aside role, rank and privilege and stand with us in resistance, to reject Government in the vilification of young activists, and give your public support in this fight."

Just Stop Oil has since said that Holly Astle and Ethan Paul, who also sprayed a university building, were arrested the day of their protest after Devon and Cornwall police attended the scene.

Police have not named those arrested but a spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Officers have attended Falmouth University this afternoon following reports of paint being thrown as part of a possible protest.

"A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and remain in police custody."