CAMPAIGNERS are demanding Salisbury's new university technical college sever its ties to the arms trade.

The move comes as it emerged that one of the firms behind South Wiltshire UTC, Chemring Defence, had supplied tear gas used against unarmed protesters in Hong Kong.

CND member Sharen Green said: “I have watched with horror the tear-gassing of peaceful demonstrators in Hong Kong demanding democracy and it is dreadful that Chemring has supplied the means of oppressing them.

“It is totally unacceptable that a company like Chemring can be involved in educating our young people.

“This is a company with a track record of cashing in on human rights abuses.

“They are the last people that the council should be working with, especially on a taxpayer-funded project.”

But UTC principal Gordon Aitken has hit back at the remarks, saying it was disappointing to see the same “misunderstandings” resurfacing.

He said students would learn from leading science and technology experts from a wide range of local employers, linking lab work to the real world, but would not be learning to make weapons.

He added that the UTC’s “extensive pastoral and moral curriculum will allow them to reach informed and mature judgements”.

“Their personal judgements on complex issues will be all the stronger if difficult issues have not been filtered out in advance by others applying their own subjective beliefs,” said Mr Aitken.

He said the UTC was delighted by the enthusiasm it was getting from local employers, including world leaders in the fight against Ebola, protection against chemical and biological weapons, countermeasures against missile attacks on aircraft, the development of prosthetic limbs and cyber security.

Chemring announced it would review its sales policy following the attacks on unarmed protestors.

In December 2011, the company confirmed in the Independent on Sunday that its CS gas had been used against pro-democracy protestors in Egypt during the 2011 uprising.

Mrs Green also highlighted the UTC’s decision to appoint Dstl deputy chief executive Pete Thompson as chairman of governors and the fact that the Royal Navy had selected the UTC as one of its first affiliated institutions.

Chemring had not commented on Mrs Green’s remarks by the time the Journal went to press.