Katie Hopkins has spoken out against the students who staged a mass walkout during a Brunel University debate in a protest against her invitation.

Writing in the Daily Mail, the 40-year-old television personality accused those who participated in the silent protest of being close-minded, quick to “deligitimise” those who did not share their beliefs.

She wrote: “A terrifying number [of students] conform to one way of thinking. Not only do they demand that you comply with their view, but seek to deride and delegitimise anyone with an alternative opinion.

“This generation of students raised on social media are fast to join crusades and shun traitors, and demand the head of the guilty served to them on a pike.”

Referencing past petitions that have called for her to lose her job as a columnist and swap her for a Syrian migrant, Katie accused students of being unable to debate, instead choosing to “label and slate”.

She said she’d pre-empted the backlash from the students, admitting she’d sent a list of labels to Brunel University in advance of her visit on Monday.

A video of the walkout, uploaded to the Union of Brunel Students’ YouTube channel, has been viewed more than 200, 000 times – and as the hits accumulated, Katie took to Twitter to thank the students for making her the hot topic of conversation on social media.

The debate – which posed the question Does the Welfare State have a place in 2015? – was the first in a series to celebrate Brunel University’s 50th anniversary year.

Katie’s invitation to take part in the debate led many students at the university to complain, although officials decided to keep her on the panel.

A number of students then approached the Union of Brunel Students (UBS) , which agreed to represent them and organise the walkout.