SOUTHAMPTON’S newest student flat complex was officially opened at a ceremony yesterday.

The £80m Mayflower Halls complex in the city centre features three residential towers of up to 16 floors and will house 1,100 University of Southampton students.

The new block next to the Mayflower Theatre has been built by developer Osborne Developments, and was the scene of major drama earlier this year when workers were evacuated after a blaze broke out on the roof.

No one was injured, and the incident did not delay the opening of the complex, which will welcome its first batch of students this September.

Itchen MP and former university student John Denham unveiled a plaque at the site, and said: “The university is really important to the city and these new halls of residence are a fantastic addition to Southampton’s landscape.”