South Belfast rocked by September crime wave

Crime already rife with nearly EIGHTY incidents before Freshers has even ended

| UPDATED anti-social behaviour arrests crime Holylands students

Until the last day in September the PSNI reported that there had been 77 incidents in South Belfast – predominantly the Holylands, an area popular with Belfast students.

Students in the South Belfast-Holylands area committed over 70 anti-social incidents during Freshers Week, resulting in arrests, penalty notices and discretionary disposals.

PSNI had previously announced an increased police presence in the area following a spate of arson attacks on cars.

At the time one terrified St Mary’s student said: “I’m moving back in with my mummy” after thugs burn her yellow Mini.

A huge 67 of the 77 incidents were related to anti-social and disorderly behaviour, with a further four for drinking on the streets, three for obstruction, and one for drugs.

There have been a total of twelve arrests made in the area already, three of which were students. Two students have been slapped with disorderly behaviour notices and a further six with ‘discretionary disposals’.

These figures don’t even take into account numbers of students and South Belfast residents that were reported to the council, or for any incidents that occurred after September 30th.

QUB’s Welcome Week began on September 22nd, but Freshers Fortnight events are still ongoing.