Some university students housed in "tiny" temporary units have described them as shipping containers that were "not fit for humans".

The University of the West of England (UWE) installed a block of 21 8x10ft (2.4x3m) "studio pods" on a car park at its Frenchay campus in September.

One student is to move out of the site near Bristol, after he complained living there was "not mentally viable".

The university said the pilot scheme was to meet demand for accommodation.

Complaints about the small en-suite studio flats, at Purbeck Court, have included them having limited communal space, thin walls and being overlooked by an existing hall of residence.

First year history student, Joe Oakes-Monger, said he had decided to move out because it was "quite isolating" to live in "a very confined space".

"It's a strange place to spend quite a large part of your time in. There's not really anywhere else to go.

"At the time [I moved in] I was desperate for accommodation, but I was pretty appalled.

"I couldn't quite believe the prospect of spending a year there."

He said it was "not an appropriate living standard for a human being".

Another student, Jack Fifield, who writes for the university's student magazine, said he had heard complaints the housing fees were too expensive, and other students living in nearby halls of residence had taunted the occupants for "not living in real accommodation".

Students have been charged £150 per week to live in the pods.

"They [the university] say it's a pilot scheme but they shouldn't be testing it on live students," Mr Fifield said.

"They need to reduce the rent and retroactively refund them."

A university spokesperson said the pods had been "used successfully elsewhere, including student accommodation at other universities" and provided students with the opportunity to live on campus during their first year.

"We are working closely with the students living in this accommodation to respond to their feedback, which will be used to inform our future accommodation plans and to see whether the pilot may be extended beyond this academic year," they added.

They said they had plans to build additional student rooms on the campus which would be ready by 2022.

A new communal area, attached to the pods, is also currently being built.