Drunken celebrations following Oxford University's Boat Race victory at the weekend landed two students in trouble with the police this week.

Barney Williams, 29, the Oxford University Boat Club president, was one of the oarsmen who beat Cambridge in the 152nd University Boat Race on Sunday.

But the Dark Blues man's "exuberant" celebrations in the early hours of yesterday landed him with a night in the cells and an £80 fixed-penalty fine for criminal damage.

Canadian Olympic Games silver medallist Mr Williams, a married father of one, was caught on CCTV cameras acting drunkenly in Oxford High Street, with two friends who have not been named.

One of them was spotted by camera operators using a litter bin as a toilet, before Mr Williams was seen vandalising a bike and throwing things into the road.

Mr Williams and the man who used the bin were arrested and put in the cells at St Aldate's police station at about 4am.

Mr Williams said: "It was a little bit of an exuberant celebration after the Boat Race.

"A few of us went out and ended up in Thirst, where the owners are supporters of the team, and we had a great time there.

"We had a little too much to drink, weren't in any condition to get ourselves home and thankfully the wonderful police of Oxford made sure we ended up in a safer place than the side of the road.

"Unfortunately, I had been deprived of a little sleep and was given a fixed-penalty notice for a criminal damage offence, which meant a £80 fine."

When asked how he felt about his behaviour, he said: "I think there's a part of me that realises that the police could have been doing better things than dealing with me.

"I have a wonderful family in Oxford, as well as a young boy, and I'm very thankful that we have the police here to protect us.

"My actions took away from their efforts to provide protection and I wish it hadn't happened.

"The race itself was a fantastic event.

"I feel I had legitimate grounds for celebrations.

"I'm very much respectful of the police and the way they conduct themselves with such patience.

"It was an incident which could have easily become much more problematic and I'm glad it didn't end up being any worse than it did."

Thames Valley Police spokesman Tim Wiseman said: "I can't confirm the name of anyone who is given a fixed-penalty notice."

Mr Williams was among the Dark Blues' crew who beat Cambridge by 15 seconds and five lengths in Sunday's race.

The Jesus College law student lives with his wife and son in student accommodation at Thelwall House, in east Oxford.

He was the only member of the eight-man crew who also took part in last year's Oxford triumph.