Partying students warned not to be rowdy
STUDENTS could be kicked out of university – and prosecuted – if they repeatedly host rowdy parties.
The repeat warning comes after university bosses renewed a contract with G4S to hire security staff to patrol the south Manchester student suburbs of Withington and Fallowfield.
The night-time patrols are being funded for a third year after the successful scheme led to student homes being hit with noise abatement notices.
Action was taken following a slew of complaints about rowdy house parties in the student suburbs, which have made life a misery for some residents.
In a bid to tackle the ongoing problem, ‘visible guardians’ equipped with audio and video recording devices will once again patrol the areas on key dates such as Freshers Week , Halloween and the end of term, to clamp down on nuisance behaviour.
Welcome Week events in Fallowfield and Withington have also been taking place to encourage students and longterm residents to ‘engage with each other.’
The action, which is funded by Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester, has been welcomed by both students and other residents.
A dedicated phoneline, run by Manchester Student Homes and the universities, also exists for complaints.
Acting as ‘professional witnesses’ the guardians report anti-social behaviour to police and the universities.
While they don’t have powers to enter student homes or issue fines, university staff say they have helped offer reassurance to residents, deal amicably with disputes, and act as ‘professional witnesses,’ gathering evidence of antisocial behaviour and presenting it to campus bosses.
Information from residents meetings and noise complaints are also gathered by Manchester Student Homes and used to inform the patrols.
The ‘mobile neighbourhood support officers’ will operate from 10pm until 6am at ‘peak times.’
In a joint statement, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester, which jointly fund Manchester Student Homes, said: “Both universities are committed to promoting positive relations between students and long-term residents.
“The community night-time patrols, first launched in 2016, will continue to be funded and operate during term time. Additionally, Manchester Student Homes will be attending various community groups to engage with residents, and they will be working closely with Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police around any noise-related issues.”
In 2016, council officers visited 64 properties in the first few weeks of the term to hand out warnings over noise complaints.
Students living at a property in Old Moat were handed a noise abatement notice forcing them to stop their antisocial behaviour or face further action.
The notices can lead to equipment being seized, exclusion from university, and even prosecution.