A HOST of initiatives have been launched in a crackdown on noisy University College Worcester students who have being making St John's residents' lives a misery.

The noise prevention scheme, created by the students themselves, includes a raft of measures and comes after residents living along both Hylton Road and Henwick Road have regularly complained of noise and damage caused by late-night revellers.

In March, the Evening News reported how police cautioned UCW students after they were caught carrying pieces of a vandalised garden wall belonging to Richard Delingpole, of Henwick Road.

The campaign, dubbed SSHH - Silent Students equal Happy Homes - urges new students to respect people living in neighbouring residential areas, emphasising the importance of keeping quiet when returning from pubs and clubs late at night.

Behaviour

The Student Union (SU) has negotiated a contract with Tramps Nightclub to ensure buses are provided to and from the city centre venue on Thursday nights, in a bid to stop noisy students walking past residents' homes.

A student warden operation, which involves third year students monitoring the behaviour of "freshers", is also underway.

And security patrols are being introduced for the first time, along with CCTV cameras, for both the safety of students and to tackle any potential problems quickly.

The SSHH campaign message was delivered to all students during their course inductions and will be continued through flyers, student literature, posters and the SU website throughout the year.

President of the SU Lindsay Secomb said: "The campaign reminds students that there are residents who live near the university campus who may be elderly, have small children or full time jobs and these people do not want late night noise.

"We're even issuing lollipops for students to suck on as a novel reminder to keep the noise levels down.

"We hope respect is very much a two way thing, and we feel this message is working with our students."

Ward Councillor Simon Geraghty believes the SSHH campaign and the additional measures will be of real benefit to the St John's community.

"It's great to see the Student Union using their initiative and acting proactively, to address the concerns of residents," he said.

"I think their campaign, along with the introduction of CCTV cameras and bus services, will be of considerable benefit, and are extremely positive steps forward."

However, residents of Hampton Close, St John's, say parking responsibly is another issue needing to be addressed.

They say that students parking at the entrance to the close, off Laugherne Road, create a danger to anyone driving in or out as visibility is severely restricted.

"We have seen a lot of near misses," said one woman.

"But it's nice to see that the college is doing something."