SEX between students who don’t live together will be banned as universities brace for a freshers’ week like no other.

The University of Brighton has forbidden overnight guests in halls, and students are preparing for a tamer start to their terms amid the coronavirus crisis.

In a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19, several other universities across the UK have announced they will limit social interactions to a single household or “social bubble”.

The Sunday Times reported that students caught flouting new Covid-19 restrictions will face hefty fines.

Freshers’ week usually starts in mid-September, and new students take part in events to help them settle in.

But they will find the start of term quieter this year. The University of Sussex said it is moving more of its freshers’ week events online. And with clubs still closed to curb the spread of Covid-19, students could be disappointed.

One former University of Brighton student said: “I don’t remember there being that much sex during freshers’, but there were a lot of people getting black-out drunk.

“I didn’t meet too many people outside my halls either – I was up in Varley Park.

“But a lot of people do go to uni thinking that that’s what it’s like, and it might be a bit strange for them this year.

“I don’t think I’d be too happy if I was going back now. In terms of partying it’s a bit of a bummer.

“I’d be more worried about clubbing and big gigs being cancelled than sex.

“And no one’s going to want to have sex if they’re not going out and getting drunk”.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, said: “This will clearly make having close student friendships and intimate relationships difficult.

He said universities are “doing the right thing” – but added he hopes the measures will be temporary.

“Certainly the experience of freshers’ week will be very different,” he said.

A University of Brighton spokesman said: “We will be advising all of our students to follow all current government guidance and will be reminding them of our existing behaviour policies.

“As part of our approach to running Covid-secure campuses no overnight guests will be allowed in halls.”

A University of Sussex spokesman said: “Welcome Week is an extremely important time for new students to help them become part of the University of Sussex community.

“The Sussex welcome is known for its energy and warmth and we’ll be making sure there are opportunities for students to meet new people in a safe environment.

“More events will be online this year alongside those that are in person – or a mixture of the two.

“Health and safety will be a major consideration for all university events.

“We’ll make sure that all students are familiar with the Government’s latest guidelines, which we expect everyone who is a part of our community to adhere to.”