The majority of people handed Covid notices by police patrolling the Holyland and Stranmillis districts are not students, the PSNI says.
The detail emerged as officers spent another night in the areas where they handed out 37 more notices as well as ten prohibition notices and one Community Resolution Notice.
Police issued the orders over Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday morning “as part of the ongoing operation to address antisocial and criminal activity in the Holyland and Stranmillis area of South Belfast ”.
Chief Inspector Gavin Kirkpatrick said: “In addition to attending and stopping a number of parties last night, we also had to contend with large numbers of young people congregating in the Agincourt Avenue area.
“While Police, council officers and university representatives engaged with many of the young people to give them advice and guidance, it is critical that young people who have moved to the area take personal responsibility for their behaviour.
“To date, our preliminary enquiries have indicated that the majority of people we’ve issued Covid notices to in the area are not students. Police have a very simple message to anyone considering visiting or attending parties in this residential part of south Belfast - don’t!
“I again appeal to parents and guardians to speak with their young people, to ensure they know where they are, who they are with and what they are doing. Parents and guardians who allow young people to visit friends or attend parties in this residential area are not helping this situation.
“If you have moved to the Holyland area, you must adhere to the Health Protection Regulations to protect yourselves and others from Covid19. You must also be good neighbours as the residents of this area who are fed up dealing with anti-social and criminal behaviour on their doorsteps.
“Our robust policing operation will continue over the coming days with our partner agencies, including representatives from Belfast City Council and both universities.”
