Britain’s brightest students at Cambridge University are being told how to walk down the stairs in new health and safety posters.

The university, which ranks among the top ten in the world, has warned students to ‘pay attention when walking down the stairs.’  

The posters feature a red banner saying ‘don’t get distracted’ and then show a photo of a man in the floor after taking a fall while using his phone.

Students are also given a link and QR code for a website to report any ‘accidents’ or ‘near misses’.

The ‘over the top’ posters in the engineering department, advise students to not use their mobile phones when on the stairs. 

The poster adds: ‘Heads Up, Phones Down. Don’t be the next accident. Thank you for not using your phone.’ 

Locals have commented on the posters, with Sarah Williams saying: ‘I love how members of the University of Cambridge obviously can’t be trusted to use stairs (well at least without guidance).’

Whilst Carrie Webb added: ‘Yet still holding their phone after neatly sliding down the whole staircase on their face it would seem.’

Julie Hogg said: ‘This makes me laugh whenever I’m heading up and down the stairs in the department (without my phone obviously).’

Gennaro Dello Ioio said: ‘Why would anybody report a ‘near miss’ episode of staircase use. 

‘Hi, I just saw this guy who was using his phone while going down the stairs, he tripped, and almost fell’. 

Charlotte Wilcox said: ‘Is it not a bit weird to have a QR code encouraging people with smart phones to scan on a poster discouraging phone use on stairs?’

Janie Morris added: ‘There have always been absent-minded really clever people. It’s just the distraction itself which changes.’

Student Tracey Duffield said: ‘The posters seem rather over-the-top.’

Cambridge University has been approached for a comment.