The organiser of a party at a student house in Bevendean has been fined £10,000 after scores of revellers flouted coronavirus regulations.
More than 100 people flocked to the seven-bedroom shared house in Norwich Drive – which according to a lettings advert has a bathroom jacuzzi and a garden hot tub – for Hallowe’en celebrations on Saturday night.
Police breaking up the party were “met with violence and abuse” and a man was arrested for assaulting a sergeant. He has been released under investigation.
Meanwhile, police are investigating another large party on Falmer campus, which had to be broken up the same night. A later rave in Stanmer Park was thwarted when police confiscated a sound system.
A police spokeswoman said: “Sussex Police has issued a £10,000 fine to the organiser of a party in Brighton.
“Officers were called to a residential address in Norwich Drive, Brighton, at 11.55pm on Saturday (October 31) to reports of a party involving more than 100 people.
“Police units attended and made efforts to engage with the people present, encouraging them to adhere to Covid regulations and leave the premises.
“However, officers were met with violence and abuse, with one sergeant being assaulted.
“One man was arrested on suspicion of assault. He has been released under investigation while enquiries continue.
“Police identified the organiser of the event and have issued them with a £10,000 fine in accordance with the government’s Covid regulations.”
The University of Sussex said the party on Falmer was also attended by people who do no live on campus.
A university spokesman said: “Whilst the vast majority of our students are following the guidelines and behaving responsibly, there were breaches on Saturday night. This included non-residents visiting our campus.
“We are continuing to work closely with Sussex Police on this, as we have been over the past few months. We take these breaches extremely seriously and we are taking disciplinary and other action where needed.
“We will continue to strengthen our security and student support presence wherever necessary.”
A police spokeswoman said: “Police were called to reports of a disturbance involving a large group of people at the University of Sussex campus in Falmer, shortly before 11pm on Saturday (October 31).
“A Section 34 dispersal order was issued, giving police officers the power to direct those causing anti-social behaviour to leave the area.
“A number of people were then found gathering in Stanmer Park. Officers attended and seized a generator and a sound system.
“No injuries were reported and no arrests were made. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the matter, and to identify any organisers who may face a £10,000 fine for breaching Covid regulations.”
seems a bit harsh – nothing like celebrating another month of furlough pay/holiday money – lolz
Dear University of Sussex,
Were the non residents possibly students who do not live on Campus?
You must try harder next time to bend the truth (article refers to students not campus residents) as the general public are on the whole not stupid and able to see through these kind of statements.
So many students just thinking nothing of it makes me sick, students do not realise that people like myself have to get up and work at 7am as a NHS worker keeping people alive from this pandemic. We need Ed more policing on our streets like we used to. Don’t know the last time i saw a officer walk along our road of a night time. Disgusting and more students nt accommodation is being built means more parties and disruption to come….
Notwithstanding the comments above, how on earth did the organiser who has been fined think they could possibly get away with this? Arrogance or stupidity? Surely, anyone who has to endure being surrounded by HMOs – and this is not saying that all of the occupants are irresponsible/selfish by any means – must know that neighbours who are not HMOs and who are fed up with them, are going to report things like this, especially in the current circumstances. The occupants and visitors were just as irresponsible as the organiser and the house should be closed down.
Maybe we could have a name for the culprit? Was this the owner or someone unconnected with the ownership? Perhaps also the owner/agents, whether directly responsible or not, should be investigated for inadequate supervision of the premises, given that many of the owners are absentee landlords living in other parts of the country – but part of the overall HMO problem is that B&H Council doesn’t have any joined-up policy/enforcement for this kind of thing. Planning doesn’t talk to HMO licensing and vice versa.
By the way, the Council’s HMO Registers don’t show any licence for a 7-bed HMO in Norwich Drive, although there is one that has the numbers blank – typical incompetence by the Council, which has an HMO in my street on their map but no licence info on the Register.