Students hit with £10k fines for hosting party

Students have been told how to alert authorities to those breaking lockdown rules after two teenagers were hit with £10,000 fines for throwing a house party in Canterbury. More than 30 revellers - and a DJ - were packed into a home in Ulcombe Gardens for the noisy bash, which neighbours say is a regular occurrence. In the first case of its kind in Kent, the hosts have now been handed the hefty penalty after police branded the get-together “simply unacceptable”. University of Kent chiefs have since issued guidance to students on how they can anonymously report others to relevant authorities if they are not following the latest rules, which from today ban households from mixing indoors. An email sent to students reads: “If you are concerned about any on-campus behaviour which you believe goes against government guidelines, you can report this in confidence by contacting campus security.”

A UKC spokesman said: “Our students receive regular reminders to follow government guidelines. They’re also reminded that this applies to those in university accommodation as well as off-campus. “Campus security has been increased over the weekends.” It comes amid another rise in coronavirus infections among students and staff, with 35 confirmed cases at Kent and a further nine at Christ Church in the past week.

The party in the early hours of Monday, October 19 was broken up by officers, with revellers dispersed from the makeshift venue - which even had its own dance area - on a street predominantly made up of accommodation for students. The following day, two 19-year-old women who organised the event were reported to police for breaching lockdown rules. They were both issued with fixed penalty notices and now fined£10,000 each.

Ulcombe Gardens, Canterbury