Cardiff University has apologised after some students returned to their halls of residence to find their possessions had been thrown away.
Students at Cardiff's Talybont South halls said they were shocked to find many of their kitchen items had been put in the bin.
They claimed the university assured them their possessions would be "stored safely" if they chose to live elsewhere during the coronavirus pandemic.
Students said they received an email from the university stating that staff would be cleaning communal areas. This included removing rubbish, food, dirty kitchen items and packing away items that it said could be stored safely.
However, on returning to collect items from Talybont South, students said they found some of their possessions had instead been put in the bin.
Meg Bridges, a first year journalism student from Tenby, returned to her room to collect some essential items and found her belongings had been put into bin bags.
She said she was "shocked" and "disappointed" as she had informed the university she would be returning for her items.
"We were asked to fill in a survey asking whether we had left things and whether we would be returning. They said that if they needed to use our rooms for NHS staff or anything like that they would let us know first," said Meg.
"When I got to my room all of my stuff was in loads of bin bags on my bed. Posters, pictures and cards had been ripped off the walls and my clothes had been put in bags too.
"A plant had also been tipped in there and so there was soil on everything.
"We were told that if our rooms needed to be used that we would be informed and our stuff would be stored away safely.
"I'm just really shocked and disappointed that they would treat people's belongings like that."
Meg said they had been made aware that dirty items would be thrown away but claimed all of their possessions left in the kitchens had gone.
"It's such a waste. It was clear it wasn't just dirty things being thrown. The bins were filled with kitchen stuff which looked brand new."
First year medical student Upha Barcley, from Devon, claimed that around £400 worth of her kitchen items have been thrown away by the university.
"I am just completely disappointed. I went into the kitchen of my flat and everything had been cleared out," she said.
"We were assured that all of our things would be safe so to see everything in the bin is just such a waste.
"I tried finding some of my stuff in the bin but didn't have much luck. It's not just the monetary value or waste, it's the sentimental value of some things."
A Cardiff University spokesperson said: "Further to our statement regarding student property in halls of residences, we want to apologise to all students that have been affected and acknowledge there have been shortcomings in our actions and our response.
"We would like to reassure students that we are not planning on entering bedrooms where students have advised they have left belongings to clean the room. We know that your belongings are important to you and we would also prefer you to pack and collect these items yourself when this is possible.
"It is clear that some procedures have not been followed and in a small number of cases, has resulted in some personal possessions being mistakenly disposed of from the shared kitchens.
"Any students affected by our actions will be compensated for any losses incurred and will try to contact students directly where this is the case.
"Whilst we review our procedures, we have put a complete stop on any cleaning of kitchens, and no student belongings of any kind will be moved. We hope that this will ease the concerns of those students who still have belongings within our residences.
"In addition to the above, we will inform students of our plans on how your belongings can be collected once the lockdown is lifted to give maximum clarity and transparency on our future actions."
The university added: "To comply with the government travel restrictions and ensure the safety of students still living in residences, it is important that you do not come to collect any items until we advise you.
"If students have further concerns about this situation, please email us on residences@cardiff.ac.uk and we can respond to any questions you may have.
"Once again, we apologise for our handling of this situation and hope these new actions put in place will demonstrate our commitment to rectifying the concerns caused."
