A man has been charged with attempted murder after a staff member was shot with a crossbow at the University of Surrey.

Almunthir Daqamah, 21, a Saudi national, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of an offensive weapon, two counts of possession of a bladed article and possession of class B drugs, Surrey police said.

Daqamah is a former student at the university. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Guildford magistrates court on Friday.

A campus safety officer in his 50s is in a stable condition in hospital.

The police are not treating the incident as terror-related.

Officers had been called to the student village in the west of Guildford at 10am on Thursday after reports of a serious assault.

A police presence remains in the area to provide reassurance.

Hiya Biswas, 19, a first year law student, described the campus safety officer as “very bubbly and smiley”. She told the Press Association students were “very shaken” by what had happened and said it was “terrifying” that it had happened so close and on the university campus.

Ch Supt Jon Groenen said: “We know how concerning this incident is, both for the university community and for local residents here in Guildford, and our officers are working at pace to establish the full circumstances of what occurred.

“There is nothing to suggest this incident is terror-related and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with it.

“We continue to work closely with the university and at this time, I would ask people to refrain from speculating online to preserve the integrity of the investigation. If you have any information that could assist our inquiries, please contact us directly.

“The victim is thankfully now in a stable condition. He remains in hospital and we continue to provide support to his family.”

A University of Surrey spokesperson added: “We have been informed that our colleague is now in a stable condition and our entire community is relieved to hear this news. We wish him a full and speedy recovery.

“We also want to take this opportunity to thank our campus safety team. They responded with professionalism and courage to this incident, and their commitment to keeping this community safe is something we are deeply proud of. Our thoughts are with all of them.”