Holyand: 50+ covid penalties and 13 noise complaints this weekend

Triple figure suspensions from Queen’s University so far this term seems not to have deterred some revelers from illegal house parties in the Holyland area.

55 covid-19 penalties were handed out this weekend (between Friday 27th and Sunday 29th of November) and 13 noise complaints were made to Belfast City Council in the same time-frame.

39 of those fines were the new and increased ‘covid 4’ notices, which cost £200 unless they are paid within 14 days, in which case they are reduced to £100.

Students often get the blame for anti-social behaviour in the university area, but it is not clear if those responsible for breaches were attendees at one of Northern Ireland’s higher education establishments.

However, Queen’s University has confirmed that to date, 138 students have been suspended over breaches of public health breaches. Ulster University is yet to respond to Downtown Cool FM with their equivalent figure.

Not a 'game'

Police are reminding the public that the current rules, which state households cannot mix with others indoors in private dwellings, are not a ‘game’.

Chief Inspector Sayers said: “Appropriate action was taken by officers in issuing covid notices to those attending these parties and I would like to re-iterate our message that people must understand that the current health restrictions are not a game.

“Across Northern Ireland, people are making sacrifices, not visiting family members or friends and businesses have temporarily closed.”

He added there needs to be a degree of selflessness because of the effect actions at present can have on others. “People congregating or travelling to parties really need to consider their actions for their own health and that of the wider community,” he said.

'Two-fingers'

MP for South Belfast, Claire Hanna, told Downtown Cool FM that although everyone is finding this part of the pandemic ‘tough’, the behaviour in the Holyland area is ‘unacceptable’, and ‘two-fingers’ to health staff and the covid-bereaved.

“We’re not even talking slight breaches around the edges of the rules here but numerous large parties which are a real two-fingers to those working in the health service and those who’ve been bereaved by the virus,” the SDLP politician said.

“People are putting their families at risk if they’re going up and down home, and causing real distress to local residents, both in terms of the noise and the disturbance and the understanding that its’s increasing the virus risk in their area.

“If fines from the university and suspensions and risk to health isn’t a deterrent, unfortunately all that’s left is policing and justice so those who are doing this are risking engagement with the police and as we’ve already seen, arrests, and it’s really not worth it.”

'Continuing to flout' the rules

Meanwhile local MLA and Stormont Health Committee member, Paula Bradshaw, said it is ‘unbelievable’ behaviour, given how many people are in hospital and ICU.

The Alliance representative continued: “Certainly we know that round 138 student from Queen’s have been suspended so I supposed the fixed penalty notices and the ability to suspend and other sanctions within the further education establishments – they are in place – however it does not seem that the students are really taking these to heart.

“Many of them are still continuing to flout the public health guidance and rules and meet and have parties in each other’s houses in the Holyland area.”