Falmouth's mayor has called for the students responsible for the "despicable" behaviour which included them wearing tabards emblazoned with offensive slogans, to be identified and brought before the council.

Students from Exeter University's Camborne School of Mines on the Penryn Campus caused outrage when they descended on Falmouth on their 'PPE' social wearing the hi-vis tabards bearing such phrases as "I love rape" and "I love Vegas concerts" referring to the mass shooting.

Even though Exeter University has apologised for the behaviour of its students, mayor Grenville Chappel wants to see the students themselves brought to account.

"I would like this council to write to the university and ask what action, if anything, has been taken against these offenders," he said. "I would like to see them before this chamber so we can take a strip off them. If we do not stamp it out when they come here and start on this sort of action, they will think they can do it for the next three years.

"I don't think we will see them and the university will not tell us who they are. I think it was despicable behaviour and if there had been a policeman around that night, they would have been asked to leave the town - it would never have happened."

The late night behaviour of other young people in town also came in for criticism from councillor David Saunby who came across them after marshalling at last weekend's Moonlight Memory Walk. "When we returned, they were shouting, screaming, swearing and running all over The Moor," he said. "It was terrible. I now know why people don't come into town at night.

"Their behaviour was absolutely disgusting and when we walked up passed the Gem, the music blasting from Tuke House was absolutely unbelievable."

The criticisms of students' behaviour came after county and town councillor, Candy Atherton told her colleagues of a trial run by Cornwall Council over several nights during the freshers' period, which saw two environmental health officers based in town, ready to respond to complaints of antisocial behaviour in the early hours.

"We have had no response to that trial yet," said Ms Atherton. "Let's see how that went. I have had people who have contacted me about parties over the last couple of weekends and I hope some of them reported it to Cornwall Council so they were able to respond."

Ms Atherton said all complaints of noisy parties/behaviour, should be reported to Cornwall Council, on the 24 hour line 0300 1234 212 or by emailing communityandenvironmentalprotection@cornwall.gov.uk so the council is aware of the scale of any problems.

"I give credit to Cornwall Council for organising the trial at a time of budget constraints," said Ms Atherton. "They have to realise we cannot have a university with the economic benefits to the whole of Cornwall without the implications for the town. We have to weigh up both and support the town."

The town council's finance and general purposes committee voted unanimously to write to Exeter University, asking what action was taken against their students and inviting them to attend a future meeting.