University of Nottingham to consider further punishment for student who held house party

The 50-person event breached the student discipline code

The University of Nottingham will consider taking further action against a student who threw a huge house party.

The student was issued a £10,000 by Nottinghamshire police after hosting the 50-person gathering in Harlaxton Drive, Lenton, on Friday, September 11.

The 19-year-old who lives with five other students at the address apologised in a letter to neighbours and told Nottinghamshire Live that the event "got out of hand".

Now, a spokesperson at the University of Nottingham has condemned the event.

They said: “We are deeply disappointed at this behaviour which is unrepresentative of the majority of students in the city. The rules apply to everyone and students should not host or attend house parties and should observe social distancing at all times.

“Breaches of social distancing measures are an offence under our student discipline code, and the University will consider further disciplinary action in addition to any court proceedings.

“The University will continue to work closely with police, local authorities and residents' associations to ensure our students protect and respect the communities of which they are a part."

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The university student said 25 people were due to show up to the garden party, but residents reported groups of up to five arrived in taxis and by foot to the party.

Nottinghamshire Police said around 50 people at the address were all ordered to leave before the host was given a fine.

Speaking jointly, the Vice-Chancellors from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, Professors Shearer West and Edward Peck, said: “This year we recognise that the coronavirus presents exceptional and individual challenges to every Nottingham citizen and that any incident of antisocial behaviour, such as not respecting the latest Government guidance on social distancing measures, has the potential to put lives at risk.

“All of our students will be required to sign and adhere to updated Codes of Conduct which include these guidelines. Where incidents do occur we will be uncompromising in the use of the disciplinary powers available to us.

“This includes, in addition to university procedures, the legal powers available to CPOs to issue fines, civil injunctions and closure orders. In the most serious of cases students can find themselves removed from their accommodation, suspended from their course, and/or with a criminal record."

Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said the fine sent a “clear message” to the public.

He said: "I think it’s a real shame, that individual was given a number of opportunities to comply and to act in a different way and chose not to.

“But I do think it’s equally important that that fine was issued and the message was sent very clearly to people.

“Everybody finds the rules restrictive on our lives, every single person in the country is restricted in that way, but I think we’ve all got a responsibility to comply with the rules.”