University College London has said it is investigating allegations that a “secretive” conference has taken place on its campus for the past four years.

The university said it is seeking an explanation of a “potential breach of its booking policy” over the London Conference on Intelligence, hosted by an honorary UCL senior lecturer, Professor James Thompson.

According to a report in the London Student, the conference, which was first held in 2014, is alleged to have featured delegates with links to white supremacist groups.

UCL claimed it did not have prior notice of either the speakers or the content, adding that the LCI events were booked and paid for as an “external event”, and thus was not officially endorsed by the university.

A university spokesman said: “We are an institution that is committed to free speech but also to combatting racism and sexism in all forms.

“We have suspended approval for any further conferences of this nature by the honorary lecturer and speakers pending our investigation into the case.”

UCL’s insignia has appeared on a number of LCI publications, and within the conference’s logo on its official YouTube channel.