University and college lessons in Medway were disrupted again on Thursday as lecturers staged a walk-out.

Staff joined picket lines at all three Medway universities - Canterbury Christ Church, Greenwich and the University of Kent - at the Chatham Maritime campus, UCA Rochester and MidKent College in Gillingham.

The national strike has been organised by the University and College Union (UCU) in a dispute over pensions and pay.

Around 500 colleges and universities across the country are taking part in what is the first UK-wide strike action in universities for five years and in colleges since 2008.

The union has received the support of the National Union of Students and some students have joined the picket lines.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: "The attacks on pensions and pay have created real anger and, instead of burying their heads in the sand, the employers need to respond urgently to our concerns.

"Staff are sick to the back teeth of being told that their pay and pensions need to be cut to pay for an economic crisis created by others."

Martin Pover, chairman of the UCA branch of UCU, said: "None of us likes taking strike action and it is very much a last resort. UCU members across the country are extremely worried about their pensions."

Speaking from the picket line at UCA Rochester, lecturer Simon Bliss said: "We have members who have been contributing to their pensions for some time who are going to end up with a worse deal. Some of us signed up to a pension scheme that allowed us to retire at 60 and they want to change this to 65."

The latest strike action follows a walk-out by University of Greenwich staff, including lecturers at the Medway campus, on Tuesday.