Students who held gaming tournament 'disciplined' by university on top of fines

Earlier this week, five £200 fixed penalty notices were handed out to students in Hatfield after they breached coronavirus regulations by hosting a FIFA tournament.

On Tuesday, January 12, at around 1 am, police received reports of an unlawful gathering at a student property in The Runway.

Officers attended and found more than 20 people at the address. Most people made off following police arrival.

Those remaining inside the address were reported for breaching coronavirus regulations, and after a joint investigation between officers and the University of Hertfordshire, five £200 fines were issued.

Chief inspector Simon Mason said: "This is completely unacceptable behaviour given the current climate.

"We are in a lockdown for a reason – thousands of people are dying. It is completely selfish to carry on as normal, and it’s an insult to all those who are adhering to the regulations as they should."

A spokesperson from the University of Hertfordshire said: “The safety of our community is our absolute priority, and we expect our students to follow the national guidance and keep our community safe.

"We do not condone this behaviour and those who were found to have blatantly breached COVID-19 rules have been disciplined by the university.

"The vast majority of our students are following the national safety guidelines, and we will continue to work with the police and take appropriate action against those who are not.”