Galt

The students alleged Brand Vaughan had ignored their calls and emails, in which they pleaded for help, and Ms Galt said certain staff members had been "extremely patronising".

Casey Galt, Lucy Taunton and Kylie Cobine said the property in Kemptown had contained rubbish, including rotten food and dirty bed linen, and one bathroom had had a sewage leak that "absolutely stunk" when they moved in in September.

Ms Galt, from Folkestone in Kent, said she had feared she was going to die inside the property as it lacked fire alarms and fire doors, while her bedroom did not have a fire escape.

"This whole situation put me in a bad place mentally," said Ms Galt.

When it came down to deciding a tied race for a Galt City Council seat, the longest straw won.