Covid-19: University of Hertfordshire students fined for attending house party
Fourteen people, including eight university students, have been fined for breaking lockdown restrictions and attending a house party.
Police officers were called to a property in Eagle Way, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, at about 01:00 GMT on Sunday. Hertfordshire Constabulary issued attendees with £200 fines. The University of Hertfordshire said it would take "appropriate action" against any student who breached rules. On 12 January, five students were fined £200 each for gathering to take part in a Fifa gaming tournament. In November, during the last lockdown, five students were suspended over a disturbance at the Hatfield campus. Ch Insp Simon Mason said: "Those present attempted to make off from the property once they spotted police which is a clear sign that they knew they were breaching the Covid regulations. "We're working closely with the University of Hertfordshire and I would like to stress that it is only a small number of students who have caused us issues - in this case, eight of those involved." The officer urged those "tempted to breach regulations" to "think long and hard" about their actions. A spokesperson for the university said any student found to have breached Covid-19 rules would be disciplined. "There are a number of sanctions we can apply for breach of code, including warnings, fines, suspensions and exclusions," the spokesperson said. "The vast majority of our students are following the guidelines, and we will continue to work with the police and take action against those who are not." Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk