More than £40,000 of fines have been given to NTU students overnight as Notts potentially faces further lockdown restrictions.
Four third-year students each received a £10,000 fine after Community Protection Officers inspected a house party on Kimbolton Lane, Lenton.
The officers were told that everyone had left the party, but more than 30 people were found hiding in the house, including in the kitchen, basement, and upstairs bedrooms.
This incident occurred after the Prime Minister confirmed there were talks to move Nottinghamshire into Tier 3.
The students allegedly claimed that the officers were ‘spoiling their fun’ and that they should be having the ‘time of their lives’.
NTU has confirmed that the students have been suspended, and an investigation is now underway.
Assistant Chief Constable, Kate Meynell, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This needs to stop. The claims that police presented a barrier to the students’ fun are astounding.
“How many fines do we have to give before the message is understood? We do not take pleasure in handing out fines and would much rather be in a situation where students could enjoy themselves but the reality is that if people do not follow the Covid-19 restrictions, more people will die.
“The majority of students are following the rules but there obviously is a significant number of them who feel as though they can show blatant disregard for the safety of those around them.
“We have demonstrated that we will take action where necessary and I’d like to thank the Community Protection Officers for spotting the party and engaging with the occupants at the house in Lenton last night.
“The students were given the opportunity for the situation to end with a warning but instead decided it was appropriate to lie to officers.
“This behaviour will not be tolerated and I urge those who are considering to host parties to think again.
“We will be working closely with Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham City Council to make sure that all breaches of Covid legislation are attended and dealt with appropriately.”
A NTU spokesperson has said: “We have been notified by Nottinghamshire Police this morning that they have imposed £10K fines on NTU students.
“On receipt of that notification we immediately launched an investigation, and each student has been suspended pending the outcome of our investigation.
“Any student who is found to have breached our disciplinary regulations can face a range of sanctions, up to and including expulsion.
“We have repeatedly made clear to all students that they – like everyone – have a crucial role to play in limiting the spread of this virus.
“We know that the vast majority of our students respect the guidelines and advice.
“We will not tolerate any breaches, and where we have evidence of any breaches, we will always take immediate action under our disciplinary processes.”
By Laycie Beck
Featured image: Nottinghamshire Police (modified), Olimpia Zagnat.