Calls for Manchester universities to pay for extra police to ensure student safety

Liberal Democrat councillors have called for universities in Manchester to pay more for police in order to ensure student safety in the wake of Withington and Fallowfield being branded with the worst crime rates in the city.

There were 448 burglaries in Withington last year alone, according to Home Office figures: more than anywhere else in Manchester.

Now the Liberal Democrats on Manchester Council have said that universities should take more responsibility for student safety after a pilot scheme in Northampton proved popular.

Greater Manchester Police Superintendent Dave Pester said there had been an four per cent increase in burglaries across Withington in the last year, some of which are repeat offenders.

He said students were not the only target but as Withington is a densely populated area with a lot of shared houses, often occupied by young people and students, the chances of them falling victim were likely to be higher.

He also said that a quarter of all property stolen is laptops.

Withington Liberal Democrat Spokesperson, April Preston, has urged the Universities to take more responsibility, saying: "It is not realistic to expect police to do more with less".

April called on the universities to contribute to the cost of extra policing claiming that an increase in crime could deter future students from coming to Manchester, stating: "Isn't in time the universities commit to student safety and give police the resources to implement extra patrols?"

The University of Northampton recently implemented a similar policy and successfully funded a team of five constables and a sergeant.

A spokesperson for the University of Northampton said: "Young people in university towns and cities are often seen as a soft target for criminals and the pilot programme will enhance the safety of our 13,000 students for less than £20 each per year."

The University of Manchester declined to comment.