Students at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are set to be hit later this month as hundreds of staff go on strike.

Lecturers and other staff are among those at 63 UK universities taking industrial action over changes to their pension scheme.

The action, involving members of the University and College Union (UCU), is the first UK-wide university strike action for five years.

UEA has 500-plus UCU members, of whom many are expected to strike on Tuesday, March 22, in protest at changes to the university super-annuation scheme pension fund. It is part of five days of strike action.

On March 17 universities in Scotland are kicking off the disruption. There are separate strike days for Wales, Northern Ireland and England on March 18, 21 and 22 respectively. There will then be UK-wide action on March 24.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: 'The last thing our universities need is widespread disruption and strike action is always a last resort. But, employers must recognise the strength of feeling over pensions.'