Shocking moment cops raid 150-strong Sheffield student party and issue £34k in fines
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Officers arrived at the halls of residence within ten minutes of the incident being reported by university security at 1.13am.
More than 150 people are said to have been partying inside the flat, with many running from officers and security in an effort to avoid being identified.
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Hide AdSheffield City Centre Inspector, Ali Bywater said: “At a time when the vast majority are working so hard and making huge sacrifices to adhere to the rules, it is absolutely appalling to see people show such blatant disregard for not just their own safety, but the safety of others.
“The actions of all those present were incredibly selfish and the fact that so many went to great lengths to flee from officers is evidence that they knew what they were doing was wrong.
“At one point, there were 14 police officers on scene; that’s 14 officers who could have been dealing with other important matters across the county.”
Additional resources were deployed after one officer was injured as people broke out of fire exits and set off fire alarms in order to get away.
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Hide AdLocal teams, including Inspector Bywater’s, have been working closely with both universities in recent months to prevent and tackle any parties in student residences.
Inspector Bywater continued: “We know both universities have been communicating regularly with students to inform them of the risks of holding events and the consequences involved.
“Parties like these are completely unfair on those who are rightly taking the threat of Covid seriously and can have massive implications on both the spread of the virus and subsequent strain on health services.”
The party’s organiser has been handed a £10,000 Fixed Penalty Notice, with over 30 others handed an £800 fine. This is now the minimum penalty for gatherings and parties of more than 15 people.
Police will now be working with the University of Sheffield in an effort to identify other attendees from the extensive body worn video footage captured.