48-hour order in party zone
POLICE ACTION ON STUDENT REVELLERS
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Police were forced to impose a 48-hour dispersal order in parts of the Arboretum, Lenton and the city centre at the weekend.
People caught flouting the lockdown rules were asked to leave and if they returned they could be arrested.
The dispersal order was introduced at 6pm on Saturday after a series of illegal gatherings were reported on Friday night with 59 people fined.
Despite the order, police were still called to a number of house parties in the city, resulting in numerous fines, some in the dispersal zones. The order finished last night. Truck driver Tony Sandhu, 61, who has lived in Douglas Road in Lenton all his life, said this was the worst it had ever been despite the country being in lockdown.
He is worried that lack of sleep is now affecting his ability to do his job – and says police fines are just not working.
In a desperate plea to students, he said: “I am a truck driver and I need to get some sleep because it makes my work on the roads dangerous.
“On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there was nine, 10, 11 people at a time in these properties and it was just noisy. It is just a nightmare.
“If it is like this now – because the students don’t care about lockdown – what is it going to be like when lockdown restrictions are relaxed?
“I will leave for work at 4am or 5am and I will see them walking up Derby Road with alcohol bottles in their hands.
“On Friday night every 15 minutes there was screeching outside. It was total chaos. The fines are not working.
“I had about three hours’ sleep on Friday night and I have a 44-tonne metal truck and I work at 6am on Saturday.
“The only thing on my mind in the afternoon is – what is it going to be like tonight?
“I don’t really want to go home. This is the worst. This year, even though we have been in lockdown, it has been terrible.”
Last week, the Post reported that a number of long-term residents were considering selling up and moving out of the area.
Kate Loewenthal, chair of the Lenton Drives and Neighbours Residents’ Association, said she has been inundated with messages at the weekend.
She said: “Residents realise there are a lot of students who want to be part of the community and already doing great things to support the community.
“However, yet again on Friday night residents were kept awake to 3am or 4am by two large parties in the triangle.
“There was lots of shouting, loud music, with groups walking down Derby Road at about four in the morning.
“One resident reported students skateboarding down the road and another resident woke at 4am or 5am to loud music and screaming coming from a house.
“They had just had a bereavement and were not feeling in a good position. There was also a big party in the middle of the day in Canning Circus.”
Neighbourhood Inspector Amy English, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “People need to accept that we’re still in a very serious national lockdown and the regulations, put in place to protect others and bring the pandemic under control, need to be respected.
“We have always said we would prefer to engage and encourage people to follow the regulations, but we can only do this for so long before enforcement needs to be taken.
“We now have no choice but to meet the unrest with a full-force response and we will be taking a tough approach to anyone found breaking the rules.
“This is a difficult time for everyone and the majority of people are understanding of the situation. This can be seen through the number of calls we get from neighbours and passers-by when they believe someone is having a party. “But there are still a small number of people intent on going against all of the national restrictions. They’re the people responsible for spreading the virus which will only prolong the lockdown and cause further misery for others.” People can report any parties to 101 or alternatively they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
If it is like this now, what is it going to be like when lockdown restrictions are relaxed? Tony Sandhu