Sussex Police to hunt down East Slope mass gathering organisers and fine them £10,000

Sussex Police were called to East Slope following reports of a mass gathering of students on Halloween.

One resident of East Slope, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Sussex Tab there was approximately 300 or 400 students present. They also confirmed one student was placed in handcuffs by Sussex Police.

A spokesperson from Sussex Police confirmed that a group of officers were called to the on-campus residence shortly before 11pm. They stated: “A Section 34 dispersal order was issued, giving police officers the power to direct those causing anti-social behaviour to leave the area.

“A number of the students were then found gathering in Stanmer Park. Officers attended and seized a generator and a sound system. No injuries were reported and no arrests were made. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the matter, and to identify any organisers who may face a £10,000 fine for breaching Covid regulations.”

Freshers who attended the party posted videos on their social media accounts. One person set off a firework at the East Slope residence as other people watched and chanted. However, the firework did not shoot into the sky, it fell down and instead fired at the ground. Onlookers continued to cheer as the person setting of the firework jumped out of the way.

Footage of the firework being set off can be seen here.

Another student who was at East Slope on Halloween spoke directly to The Sussex Tab about the events which occurred. They anonymously stated: “I never go to parties, so seeing that for the first time was quite exciting. It was also great seeing so many students on campus.

“There was police there too, many student decided to stay outside with their friendship group and not indoors in case they got caught. I headed home around 2am and saw many students heading towards central Brighton.”

You can also see multiple clips of the party here.

A University of Sussex spokesperson said: “Whilst the vast majority of our students are following the guidelines and behaving responsibly, there were breaches on Saturday night.  This included non-residents on our campus.  Sussex Police attended and as always the University will work closely with the authorities wherever necessary.  We take these breaches extremely seriously.”