More than 50 fines handed out following party at Cardiff halls of residence

More than 50 attendees at a Cardiff party have been fined for breaching coronavirus restrictions.

South Wales Police was alerted to the large gathering at a halls of residence on Friday night (November 6), and on arrival officers found music blaring and dozens of individuals inside.

The details of each person were taken on the night, and officers have since worked closely with Cardiff Metropolitan University to retrospectively issue 52 fixed penalty notices. Enquiries are ongoing in relation to another four.

Cardiff and Vale Superintendent Jason Rees said: “It is unfortunate that our officers were left with little option but to fine those who showed a flagrant disregard for the Coronavirus regulations – and more importantly their own health and that of their peers and the wider community – by either hosting or attending this party.

“We know it has been a difficult time for the students who have come to study in Cardiff and that the current pandemic has had a huge impact on the experiences they would have ordinarily had here in our vibrant capital city.

“We have been very conscious and sympathetic to that fact, and we have worked closely with our local universities and the student population to help them navigate and understand the rules and to make responsible choices.

“We remain committed to policing by consent and we have done all we can to ensure enforcement is a last resort. We’ve worked with the universities to create Acceptable Behaviour Contracts for students, and we have spent a significant amount of time focusing on the first three Es of engaging, explaining and encouraging.

“However, we all have a part to play and we have all had to make sacrifices to help slow the spread of the virus.

“We have always been very clear that enforcement action will be taken where necessary and proportionate, and flagrant breaches such as this left us with little option but to enforce, either at the time or through retrospective investigation.”

A spokesperson for Cardiff Met said: “We take any breach of Covid-19 regulations seriously, which is why we have worked closely with South Wales Police to reinforce the message that we all have a part to play in keeping ourselves and our community safe.

“It is disappointing that a small number of students have decided to behave in this way when the vast majority have stuck to the rules. The number of positive cases at Cardiff Met remains low, with fewer than 10 new cases being reported in the last 7 days. We would like to thank the vast majority of our students for playing their part by following the guidelines on- and off-campus.

“We will continue to work with and support South Wales Police to ensure our campuses and communities remain safe.”