Students at St Andrews University were left shocked and bemused over a notice on the men's toilets telling them "masturbation is a violation of university regulations".

The warning, which was put up at the university's main library bore all the watermarks of the university, including logo and a stamp from the finance office. Those baffled by the poster put up over the weekend on 10 November were told to "please enquire at the help desk".

Students were also informed the recently refurbished toilet floors were "not designed to handle your semen" and the "excessive amount" of stains cost thousands of pounds to remove. The warning continued to lecture students saying the cleaning costs "must" be reflected in tuition rises next year.

"It's your money."

But the notice was dismissed as a "prank" by the university, with one press officer struggling to contain her amusement as she confirmed, "No, it's definitely not true".

The notice, which became a sensation among the Twitterati after @kate_bowman alerted the Twittosphere of its existence, rounded off with some rather sage advice...