Police criticise behaviour of some Varsity revellers
POLICE have criticised the behaviour of some of the students at this year’s Welsh Varsity in Cardiff who they said the actions and attitudes of “left a lot to be desired”.
Eight students were arrested on Wednesday when thousands of supporters from Swansea and Cardiff universities were in the city centre for the annual sporting event.
A host of sports fixtures took place across the Welsh capital before the showpiece men’s rugby clash at the Principality Stadium which saw Cardiff claim the bragging rights with a 35-15 win over their rivals.
But there have been complaints about the behaviour of some of the students during the day in the city centre and the police have said that alcohol played a major role in the actions of a minority.
Chief Inspector Joe Jones, said: “Throughout the day and the evening eight students were arrested but for relatively minor offences, which is a small number considering that many thousands enjoyed everything the city and the event had to offer.
“I would like to thank the majority of students who did enjoy themselves responsibly throughout the day and night.
“However, eight arrests is eight too many and in our view alcohol played a major role in the behaviour that led to the arrest of each of those individuals. In that respect, their behaviour, and that of quite a few others whose actions and attitudes – whilst not unlawful – left a lot to be desired, was disappointing.
“We did campaign to encourage people to avoid pre-loading with alcohol, but the message clearly didn’t resonate with everyone.
“We hope that any subsequent actions which must be taken against the individuals who came to our attention do not affect their current or future prospects. We’ll continue to work closely with universities and the Students Union ahead of future events.”
Meanwhile, efforts to clear up after the Varsity day have been praised.
A large amount of litter was left on the grounds outside Cardiff castle following the event but by yesterday morning, the area was spotless with no sign of any litter.
Cardiff council said its cleaning services team had restored the ground “to the usual high standards”.
A spokesman for Cardiff council said: “We provided bin bags for those enjoying the glorious weather along the outer wall in the Castle grounds to use and the majority of litter was disposed of correctly.
“However, when large groups of people gather in this way there is always an issue with associated litter and our cleaning services team was required to restore the grounds at the front of the Castle to the usual high standards.”
And a spokesperson for Cardiff University Students’ Union said on Thursday: “Welsh Varsity works closely with Cardiff Council and South Wales Police to facilitate an event that can be enjoyed by our students whilst minimising the impact on the city.
“As well as encouraging the students to keep Cardiff tidy through positive messages, the event is supported by the Environmental Champions who provide student volunteers to litter pick throughout the day.
“The Environmental Champions are a joint initiative between Cardiff Council and the three Universities in Cardiff. Cardiff University students give their time to the Environmental Champions through Cardiff Volunteering, the Students’ Union’s own volunteering service.
“A team of student volunteers are going out again today to do a final clean-up following yesterday’s successful event.”