Student speakers confiscated by police
Police and council swoop in on student party.
Students are being warned not to hold loud parties after speakers and other music equipment was seized from a house in Fallowfield.
Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police officers went to the house on Victoria Road last week and removed four speakers, an amplifier and a CD player, following weeks of complaints from neighbours about frequent rowdy parties.
The City Council, working with Manchester Student Homes – the university run housing service – warned the 10 students living in the house about unacceptable noise levels last month.
However, despite repeated visits from the council, the noise levels continued and the students were served with a noise abatement notice.
The students went on to break this by holding more loud parties in the early hours of the morning, and so the council and police went to the house to seize the students’ equipment.
The City Council, working with GMP officers and staff from the universities, visited student houses in the run up to this term, welcoming students to the city and warning them of the consequences of holding rowdy parties.
Speakers were also seized from a house on Cawdor Street in October following complaints from neighbours – including one who was also a student – about music played so loud it made furniture shake.
Cllr Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council’s executive member for neighbourhoods, said: "We’ve told residents that we’re taking the problem of noisy student parties very seriously, and the fact we’ve seized equipment from two houses in the last few weeks demonstrates that we will not tolerate unacceptable levels of noise coming from student houses.
"These streets are not ‘student areas’ – most people living there are permanent residents working full time and bringing up families. Students and permanent residents can live alongside each other without any problems – but those students who don’t respect their neighbours and think they can hold parties into the early hours of the morning should be aware that we will take action against them."
A spokesman for Manchester Student Homes, which is jointly managed by the universities in Manchester, said: "Representatives from Manchester Student Homes, working alongside Manchester City Council, warned the group regarding their unacceptable noise levels and, consequently, their equipment was seized after previous warnings were unheeded.
"The majority of students live respectfully in the community and continue to bring many positive benefits. However, any students who continue to cause a noise disturbance can face similar sanctions and have their equipment seized. In addition to this, both Manchester universities have robust disciplinary procedures in place for unneighbourly conduct by students that can be applied where appropriate."