[ad_1]
Three students from the University of East Anglia were fined £ 10,000 each for hosting a large house party attended by up to 100 people.
The party was held at a house on Bowthorpe Road in Norwich before being broken up by Norfolk police officers.
The force said three women, one 19 and two 20, received fixed penalty notices for breaking the rules by participating in a gathering of more than 30 people.
It comes when police fined each of the University of Essex students a 200 pound fine on Monday for being caught ignoring the ‘Rule of Six’.
Four groups of up to nine people, some of whom had attended house parties while others had gathered in other areas of the Colchester campus, were approached and ordered by officers to pay the fines on Friday and Saturday night.
Scroll down to see the video.
Three students from the University of East Anglia were fined £ 10,000 each for hosting a large house party attended by up to 100 people. In the picture: Stock photo of the University of East Anglia
Some 32 students, some of whom had attended house parties, while others had gathered in other areas of the Colchester campus, pictured, were approached and ordered by officers to pay £ 200 over the weekend.
The students at the party in Norwich received the maximum fine available for organizing an illegal gathering.
According to the rules, those who only attended the party but did not participate in the organization could also have been fined £ 100.
A Norfolk Police spokesperson said: “ Officers were called in to report a meeting at an address on Bowthorpe Road in Norwich at approximately 1.10am on Sunday 11th October 2020.
‘Upon arrival, officers found up to 100 people attending a party at the address.
The agents dispersed the meeting and three occupants of the management, a 19-year-old woman and two 20-year-old women, received the notice of a fixed penalty for violating the prohibition to participate in holding a meeting of more than 30 people. people.’
The force added: ‘As a police force, we fully appreciate how difficult the past six months have been for the county and are pleased that the vast majority of people have played and continue to play their role, following guidance and legislation that help to protect Norfolk and prevent the spread of COVID-19 ‘.
The firm approach taken in Essex came after a video circulated online last week, which appeared to show dozens of students breaking the rules with a large party, and officers issued ‘repeated warnings’.
However, some on social media criticized the force’s action over the weekend, despite the fact that the patrols were well publicized.
The anger centered around the imposition of fines on a group gathered in a university parking lot, and one user responded to the police post by calling them ‘pathetic thugs’.
Another wrote: ‘I honestly read this thinking I would hear that Essex police broke up a big house party and issued tickets, but no. 7 people in a parking lot. 8 people in a house.
And they come to Facebook to show it off! THE SHAME OF IT ISSEX POLICE.
The force says it has been working closely with campus staff to offer support in interacting with students and making sure they understand and follow the restrictions.
The university has put in place a series of measures to make sure students are following the guidelines and doing their part to stop the spread of the virus and stay safe.
Most students have listened to and followed the current guidelines, but Essex police say a ‘small minority’ continued to break the rules and officers stepped up patrols on campus and surrounding areas over the weekend.
On Friday evening, officers found a group of seven people congregating in a university parking lot, all of whom were issued notices of fixed £ 200 fines.
On Saturday night, officers were called to two parties on Albany Road, Colchester, in which eight people participated inside, all of whom received fines.
And during a campus foot patrol with university security personnel Saturday night, officers also encountered nine students from different quarters congregating in a courtyard and were also issued fixed penalty notices.
Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston, Colchester District Commander, said: “We have worked very closely with the University of Essex to help them explain the current restrictions to their students around the rule of six.
Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston, Colchester District Commander, pictured, explained that enforcement action will be taken against those who ‘repeatedly do not listen to us and selfishly disobey the rules’
“ Our focus is always to explain and engage with people first around current Covid-19 regulations, as we want to give people the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to do the right thing and stop the spread of the virus.
However, as we’ve always said, when people repeatedly disobey the rules, we will take enforcement action. Sadly, this turned out to be the case over the weekend when, during our patrols, we found groups gathering and, in two cases, having parties at home.
“We don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun, but we all have a legal and ethical responsibility to stop the spread of the virus, protect each other, our communities and the NHS.
‘In cases where people do not listen to us and selfishly disobey the rules repeatedly, they can expect us to resolve them by taking enforcement action.
Ultimately, we all want the same thing – to stop the spread of the coronavirus and see police officers doing what they do best, protecting victims and the vulnerable, and catching criminals, so help us do so by following the guidelines. rules ”.
Last week I saw a video posted online of around 30 young people, believed to be Essex students, ignoring the Rule of Six and partying.
This prompted a staff member to admit that he is concerned about returning to campus, claiming to feel “like a canary in a coal mine,” according to the Daily Gazette.
The firm approach was taken after a video circulated online last week, which appeared to show dozens of students breaking the rules with a large group, and officials issued ‘repeated warnings’.
Vanessa Potter, Director of External Relations at the University of Essex said today: ‘The University is committed to the health and well-being of our students and the community at large.
‘At this challenging time, we have made it clear that all students must comply with Covid regulations, and we are truly proud that almost everyone is taking this seriously and doing so.
“We learned of some who were not, so we asked the police to support us in managing these cases.
“It’s not about stopping people from having fun; it’s about protecting the general student population, our staff, and the local community. We continue to work in partnership with our students and the Essex Police to make sure everyone is safe. ‘
Fixed fine notices of £ 200 can be issued to those caught participating in meetings of more than six people, this will be reduced to £ 100 if paid within 28 days.
For persistent violators, the flat penalty amount is doubled for each subsequent violation. Those caught organizing an illegal gathering can face a fine of £ 10,000.
- Do you know any student involved? Contact: [email protected] or 0203 615 2853
