A UNIVERSITY dean just about saw the funny side as newly-planted daffodils started sprouting out of his common room floor.

Pranksters struck at Trinity College in May 1963 when an age-old feud between the college and rivals Balliol took a bizarre turn.

Undergraduates snuck in at night and gave the junior common room a new carpet – made entirely of turf.

All the furniture was carefully put back in its place and even the dean, David Raven, admitted they had done a good job.

This didn't save the offenders however, and they were made to dig up the turf again and pay to replace the original carpet.

Archibald Whyte, a Trinity student, was quick to lead a revenge attack.

He said: "When the Balliol men came back to collect their sods of turf this morning we threw at least seven of them into the Trinity Rose Pond.

"It's a good six feet deep and they got very, very wet."