A campaign group has called on students to boycott venues owned by a pub and club entrepreneur in protest at his controversial nightclub plans for a landmark city park.

The Save Our Botanics group is asking the student associations of Glasgow University, Strathclyde University and Glasgow Caledonian University to stay away from pubs, clubs and restaurants owned by Stefan King's G1 Group.

They hope it will publicly demonstrate their opposition to the businessman's plan to build a leisure venue in the Botanic gardens in the west end of Glasgow.

The boycott would affect G1 bars including The Loft, Arta, Corinthian, Cul De Sac, the Polo Lounge and Viper, as well as the Grosvenor Cinema on Ashton Lane.

Mr King has angered residents with his proposal to develop within the gardens, by building a cafe/bar, an underground nightclub and conference centre, as well as a mini-railway, bandstand and pavilion, on the site of a disused Victorian railway station.

A 99-year lease was approved in June by Labour members of Glasgow City Council's executive committee.

But the proposal still has to go through planning and licensing.

David Howat, chairman of Save Our Botanics, said: "Mr King should not be surprised if people vote with their feet and support Save Our Botanics' call for a boycott of G1's premises."

The group plans to hit Mr King's profits by getting student groups to shun his portfolio of bars and eateries.

Cara Sulieman, a student and SOB's press officer, said: "SOB feels something has to be done to show Mr King that locals are serious."

There was no comment from G1 last night.

The next stage of the campaign will involve a rally to which all Glasgow residents' associations and other community groups have been invited to send delegates.

The meeting will take place on Thursday November 15, at the Hilton Glasgow Grosvenor Hotel.

The boycott call came as an alternative proposal to develop the Botanics site as an "Eco Centre" was shortlisted for the prestigious Scottish Eco Prize for Creativity.

The design by James Connor, a graduate of Glasgow School of Art, incorporates "organic forms and structures which demonstrate the potential of alternative eco-materials".