Lancaster University has fined five students £300 for breaking social distancing measures

Lancaster University have fined five students £300 for breaking coronavirus guidelines and have recorded 63 students having received a warning or penalty up until October 12th.

Universities across the UK are set to discipline rule-breaking students, seeing some unis such as Oxford Brookes give out 20 £100 fines for second time offences, and the University of Manchester giving out 334 warnings as well as 35 students having received police fines.

Police fines for breaking COVID restrictions to hold mass gatherings can reach up to £10,000. The cost four Nottingham students faced – each – last month, after hosting a party and hiding up to thirty of their guests.

At the start of term Lancaster University stated that students can face temporary or permanent exclusion from the University if they are found hosting a gathering in their house or garden with anyone outside of their household.

Lancaster University clarifies that in line with covid regulations, the majority of students reported for a covid-19 breach for the first time would receive an official warning, with that official warning including further clarification of coronavirus restrictions.

If students are to breach these regulations on a second occasion, this would then result in penalty fines being imposed. Up to October 12th, only five students had received penalties for second breaches, resulting in a fine of £300.

The breaches dealt with by the university have related to issues such as breaking the rule of six, failing to self isolate when required to do so and holding flat parties with people outside of the household.

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