University of Nottingham pays police to tackle student parties

Nottinghamshire Police is deploying extra officers in Lenton and Radford

A university is paying police to patrol student areas following repeated complaints about noise and disturbance caused by parties.

The University of Nottingham said "a small number" of its students had caused stress for people living in the Lenton and Radford areas of the city.

It is funding up to 100 hours of police overtime as part of a 10-day trial.

Nottinghamshire Police has already issued fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to numerous students for holding parties.

Officers have been able to do this under coronavirus legislation, which limits gatherings of people.

However, some residents have questioned the proportionality of the FPNs, which can be up to £10,000. If students do not pay they risk going to court and getting a criminal record.

The University of Nottingham said problems had been caused by "a small number" of its students

Paul Greatrix, registrar at the University of Nottingham, said: "We know that this has not been the academic year that many of our students were expecting and we have been proud of how the majority have worked hard to make a positive contribution during their time in Nottingham, with many working on the front line in the NHS, at vaccination centres and volunteering to help the communities in which they live.

"However, we have been deeply disappointed by the behaviour of a small number of our students whose actions have caused stress and disturbance for the residents of Lenton and Radford, some of whom are also students themselves."

The 10-day trial began on Friday and is due to last until Sunday 9 July.

The university has not said how much the 100 hours of police overtime will cost. However, it normally gives £30,000 a year to "community protection" services in Nottingham, which are a partnership between police and the city council.

'Working extremely hard'

The university has also given an extra £20,000 towards community protection during the pandemic.

The university hopes the increased police presence will "discourage noise nuisance and deal swiftly with any potential issues".

Insp Amy English, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Local officers have been working extremely hard in the Lenton and Radford communities to tackle the disruption and disturbances from a number of parties that have been impacting on the lives of local families.

"We welcome this short-term funding which will allow us to deploy additional officers over a 10-day period."