Students warned after Bonfire Night firework âwarâ
Universities have warned action will be taken against any students found to be involved in a fireworks âwarâ in Nottingham.
Emergency services went to Midland Way in Radford at about 22:20 GMT on Tuesday, after it was reported fireworks had been launched at surrounding buildings, parked vehicles and people.
A âlarge disturbanceâ was declared due to about 300 people outside student accommodation throwing fireworks at each other and fire engines.
Now both Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and the University of Nottingham have warned students, some of whom told the BBC they had been left âscaredâ and âworriedâ.
Nottingham student, Akua Appenteng, said she was asleep when she was alerted to what was happening on Tuesday.
âIt was all very hectic, I woke up and I saw loads of people running and a lot of police cars,â the 18-year-old said.
âIt was really scary and quite traumatic.
âIâd like to see more of a police presence to stop this sort of thing from happening, not just on Bonfire Night but also during the regular weeks.
âIâd also like to see a restriction to fireworks being sold in supermarkets [and] shops.â
Caroline Asiedu said she had learned about plans for Bonfire Night fireworks online.
âI was scrolling on social media and I saw âthe warâ doing the rounds, but I never thought it would blow up as much as it did,â the 19-year-old said.
âI know people that got injured in the incident â when I was going up into my room, my friend ran towards me and told me she got hit by a firework.
âShe showed me the scar that it left and we had to find some ice to put on it quickly. Thankfully sheâs OK.â
Kesiah Sarpong, 18, said it had left her âworried for the futureâ.
âIt makes me feel fearful,â she added. âItâs my first year here and it makes me feel like I donât want to live here any more, Iâm actively looking for new accommodation which is closer to the city centre.â
Patryk Ciesielski, 21, who lives in one of the accommodation blocks, said: âIt was the same as usual â I think it happens every year, itâs basically people shooting fireworks at each other.
âThey also set some bins on fire.
âI donât really mind it, itâs just kind of loud, but I think it was going for quite a while this time around.
âEven with my window closed, it was kind of smelly inside, and my eyes were hurting, but other than that I donât really mind.â
In a statement, the University of Nottingham said it would âsupport any police investigation and will take appropriate actionâ if students were âfound to be putting themselves or others at riskâ.
âWe work proactively with local partners, including the police, to communicate with our students about the dangers involved with the misuse of fireworks and the potential legal consequences of any associated anti-social behaviour,â a spokesperson said.
â[We] will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour of this kind from anyone in our community.â
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) said it was supporting police with inquiries, and added: âWe regularly remind our students of the importance of being responsible and considerate neighbours and if any of our students are found to have committed any wrongdoing they will face swift disciplinary action under our code of conduct.
âAny students who are concerned about behaviour in their neighbourhood are invited to call our security team, who are available to support 24/7.â
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