Students fined £2,000 over illegal parties
POLICE SWOOP ON THREE LAW-BREAKING GATHERINGS
POLICE fined ten students a total of £2,000 for hosting illegal parties in Nottingham as new Covid-19 restrictions took effect.
A large group in a flat in Hampden Street were caught by officers at around 1am yesterday. Two students were fined £200 and 15 received warnings.
And early on Tuesday, police visited parties in an apartment in the Marco Island high-rise in Brook Street, in the Litmus Building in Huntingdon Street and a house in Johnson Road, Radford, between 1am and 3am. Eight students were fined a total of £1,600.
Assistant Chief Constable Kate Meynellsaid: “We are experiencing an exponential rise in cases across Nottinghamshire – particularly in the city, where we currently have more cases per 100,000 people than anywhere else in the UK.
“The seriousness of this situation cannot be underestimated and that is why the county and city has been classed as an area of high risk under the new Government three-tier system.
“We all have a part to play in the fight against this disease and that applies to everyone, not just students. However, the fact that these fines were issued to students hosting house parties shows that there are still some people who need to understand the potential consequences of their actions.
“The reality of the situation could not be clearer – the more this disease spreads, the more restrictions we can expect on our daily lives.
“Working with partners in the city and county councils and both universities, we will do everything we can to engage, encourage and explain why people need to follow the rules. Clearly, those who choose to blatantly ignore the legislation will be fined.
“We will continue to take this approach, as we have done throughout the coronavirus crisis.”
Eight students were fined £200 each and a further 26 were warned. The force says officers will take proactive action against those who break the rules to stop livelihoods being ruined in the event of the city being placed into the stricter Tier Three lockdown.
Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham City Council, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham are now pleading with students to stick to the rules.
City council leader David Mellen said: “It’s incredibly disappointing that this action was necessary. We have just been placed in a high-risk category by the Government for Covid because our infection rates are soaring, especially in the younger population.
“It is totally unacceptable if some students think this sort of behaviour doesn’t affect anyone else – it risks spreading a deadly disease into the wider community so it’s time to take this seriously. If not, we will be placed under even stricter restrictions by the Government which will impact on everyone’s lives even more significantly.”
A Nottingham Trent University spokesperson added: “We are investigating this as a matter of urgency. We have made clear to our students that they – like everyone – have a crucial role to play in always following the rules and limiting the spread of this virus.
“Where we have evidence of any breaches, there could be consequences under our disciplinary processes, including fines or being excluded from the university.”
A University of Nottingham spokesperson added:”the university will investigate breaches of the coronavirus restrictions, which are an offence under our student code of discipline, and there are serious consequences for any students who do not obey the rules, including disciplinary action, fines and campus sanctions. We are in regular communication with our staff and students asking them to continue to closely follow and adhere to Government guidelines and public health restrictions, to contain the spread of the virus and protect our university community.”