Oxford University students swig from bottles and cover their dapper robes in foam and silly string for annual ‘trashing’ ceremony
Tradition dating back to 1990s has come in for criticism due to its rowdy nature
OXFORD University students toast the end of their studies - by getting very messy while guzzling champagne.
The undergraduates emerged from exam halls covered in shaving foam and silly string as part of the tradition known as trashing.
Dating back to the 1990s it sees friends of students taking their finals surround the exit to the Examinations Schools in Oxford city centre.
As their pals emerge they are covered in shaving foam, silly string and soaked in champagne.
The antics have come in for heavy criticism over the years with university officials attempting to outlaw them.
After students left a trail of rotten food, vomit and broken glass behind them following the celebrations four years ago university proctors branded them a “disgrace”.
Another incident saw one female student was reportedly fined £80 for rubbing a trifle in a friend’s face.
Students taking their final exam can be easily identified by a red flower worn on their ceremonial gown.
In 2015, Oxford University Students' Union voted overwhelmingly in favour of keeping the centuries-old tradition of wearing formal clothes to exams.
Opponents claimed it contributed to the perception of the university as elitist.
But in a referendum 75 per cent voted to keep the signature sartorial look for exams.
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