UNBELIEVABLE!

POLICE CHIEF SLAMS STUDENTS WHO CARRY ON PARTYING AS SECOND LOCKDOWN LOOMS

STUDENTS continued to hold mass house parties across the city this weekend, even as a second national lockdown was announced for later this week.

Young people in Nottingham ignored the Prime Minister’s announcement - in which he urged the nation to obey the new lockdown to save the NHS from collapse - by holding Hallowe’en parties.

The lockdown will be enforced from Thursday until Wednesday, December 2.

Schools, colleges, universities and supermarkets will remain open, but non-essential businesses such as pubs, bars, restaurants, retail, cinemas, theatres and hair salons, will close as a result.

Takeaways and deliveries will still be allowed and workplaces should stay open if people can’t work at home. There will be no mixing with other households indoors or in gardens.

The furlough scheme will also extend through November.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said taking action now could allow families to meet at Christmas.

But Nottinghamshire’s chief constable, Craig Guildford, said his officers had handed out 83 fines, mainly to students, for organising house parties and large gatherings over the weekend.

He called the behaviour “unbelievable” and called on universities to expel students as a deterrent.

Despite the area being under Tier 3 restrictions, which means different households cannot mix indoors or outdoors in gardens, students ignored the rules over Hallowe’en weekend.

Officers were called to a flat in Plumptre Street, in the city centre, at about 12.45am on Saturday. One party organiser was handed a £10,000 fine, and their 38 guests were each issued with £200 penalties for flouting the Covid-19 restrictions.

They were among fines handed out as police broke up a series of parties and gatherings on Friday and Saturday.

Footage sent to the Post’s website Nottinghamshire Live shows partying students racing out of one accommodation block on the night the country was told it would be going into a national lockdown.

The video shows them racing out of the building in North Sherwood Street, some dressed in convict and nun outfits, laughing and joking with each other.

The person who sent the video, who wished to remain anonymous, said they started racing out of the building when police arrived.

Another of the weekend’s incidents included a report of students having a party in Arthur Street in the Arboretum at about 2.30am on Sunday.

When officers arrived they found 14 people, including a DJ set up in the basement.

A student party was also reported in Forest Road East, in the Arboretum, at about 2am on Sunday where officers found 18 people.

Some tried to escape through a window and others were found hiding in the garden.

The other calls-outs this weekend were to gatherings in Colville Street, the Arboretum, Lake Street, the Arboretum, Seely Road, The

Park, Queen Street, in the city centre, Wheeler Gate, in the city centre, North Church Street in the city centre, and Johnson Road, Lenton.

Officers also gave a formal warning to a woman after they dispersed a group gathered at a flat and communal room in North Sherwood Street in the city centre last night.

Chief Constable Guildford said: “It’s quite unbelievable how some people are completely ignoring the fact that people are dying and the NHS is already so stretched with cancer treatment being halted because of the continued spread of Covid-19.

“The only way to get this under control is by everyone in the community sticking to the legislation and taking responsibility.

“Thankfully most people in the community understand the seriousness of the situation and are playing their part. But there always seems to be a few who think their social life is more important than other people’s health.

“Sadly, many of the incidents we attended overnight again were student parties. We know that both universities have been trying to help get the message across to students but for some, it doesn’t seem to be getting through.”

Chief Constable Guildford added that officers would continue to hand out fines and he hoped to see universities expel students as “a strong deterrent”.

“It is only by working together to follow the legislation that we will be able to control the spread of the virus,” he said.

“I would like to thank everyone who is taking their personal responsibility seriously and assure them that we will increasingly take action against those who needlessly put others at risk.”

There seems to be a few who think their social life is more important than other people’s health.

CC Craig Guildford