Four international students have been stopped for driving vehicles without the correct documentation.

Allegations have been made that student sacross campus are driving vehicles that are not insured and have no car tax.

PC Lynne Wilson, University Police Community Beat Manager said: “We do not have any actual figures; however, one of our traffic officers in the last two weeks has stopped four international students.

“These students had the incorrect documentation for driving a vehicle on the road.

“Drivers must have a valid driving licence for driving in the UK, ensure the vehicle is correctly insured and if the vehicle is 3 years old or more must have a MoT certificate.

“Without insurance and tax, driving any particular car is illegal, if there is an accident, serious repercussions will occur as a direct result, not just for the student in question but other parties involved.

Lynne later added: “Most UK insurance companies will not cover any non EU person unless they have been in the UK for more than three years and have held a UK licence for more than a year.”

All students driving a vehicle on the road must ensure that they have all the relevant paperwork including tax of the said vehicle.

Any person who is stopped by police officers that does not have the relevant documentation will be prosecuted.

Police are warning cyclists to be extra vigilant after four bicycles were stolen from the university campus.

Since October 1, bicycles from outside the Guild Pub, Brunel Court student accommodation, the Media Factory and Harrington Building have been stolen.

Using bolt cutters to cut the bicycle chain, two £400 bikes, a £30 bike and a Talon Mountain bike worth £700 were taken.

New bike sheds have been built on the campus and police are urging students to use the sheds and D-Locks to keep their bicycles safe.

Police and community officers are also locking up bicycles with D-Locks if they see bikes unattended or unlocked.

Preston Police Constable Lynne Wilson said: “Using bolt cutters to cut bicycle chain is like cutting butter with a hot knife.

“It’s frustrating when we see bicycles chained to railings; cyclists need to invest in a D-lock to ensure their bike is kept safe.”

Police are also investigating claims that people are showing photographs of stolen bicycles and offering them at a reduced price in Preston nightclubs.

PC Wilson added: “We are looking into allegations of people selling the stolen bicycles for a reduced price. People are stealing the bicycles to order.

“We have made a couple of arrests however the investigation is still on-going.”

There are plans for the bike locks to be moved outside the library near the security desk.

View Bike thefts around Preston in a larger map

Even a caution from the police could jeopardise a career. Photo by James Darling (Flickr)

UCLan students are being warned about the consequences of becoming involved in incidents outside of university which could result in police action.

Possible incidents involving students studying on UCLan courses have led to the Advice Centre issuing a warning.

Lisa Watson, the Students’ Union’s Advice Centre Co-ordinator, said that although this hasn’t been a common occurrence, they do wish to raise this issue for students as it is important that they understand the possible risks to their futures.

She said: “It’s important that all students listen to this warning; however those studying on professional courses could even see their future job prospects affected.

“It’s more of a warning to the students than something that’s happening often.”

Inappropriate behaviour on nights out, such as fighting or altercations resulting in police involvement could have an impact on student’s future careers.

“It doesn’t have to be a serious offence,” she added.

“But they need to be aware that any caution or charges made against them would affect their future.”

Consequences of police involvement due to behaviour on nights out could even lead to students being removed from their course at UCLan.

The Advice Centre wants to press the seriousness that a caution could have on their future careers, no matter how minor the offence may be.

“The schools which offer professional courses run CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) checks prior to students commencing their studies.

Students could be affected in their careers if they have to reveal something they did prior to starting university or once they are in the job market- anything which occurred during their time at university,” Lisa said.

She added: “Students need to be more aware that incidents like this could affect their future career when they’re governed by professional bodies in future years.

“It is important to be aware of the future consequences, as well as the current results.”

Cafe Manyana was one of the clubs involved. Photo by spamdangler (Flickr)

Two bar staff in Preston have been fined for serving drunk customers during a police clampdown on excessive drinking.

Five bars in Preston city centre were inspected in August by undercover officers as part of a process to regulate the serving of alcohol.

The staff, one from Café Manyana on Church Street and the other from Macs, Friargate, were given on-the-spot fines after they were spotted serving people who were already drunk.

Sgt John Lovick from Preston Police’s Licensing Department said: “It is against the law to serve alcohol to anyone who is thought to be drunk and the licensee has a responsibility to make sure that this is abided by.

“When people have had too much to drink, the chance of violence increases and violence caused by drunkenness will simply not be tolerated.”

Macs Bar owner, Andy MacDonald said the incident had set an example to those at the bar.

“I was disappointed that he was served and all the staff have been spoken to. The good that comes from it is that it sets an example now and it will not happen again. We’ve certainly learned from it,” he said.

The inspections came as part of an operation to tackle binge drinking in the city centre which has seen an increase in police and paramedics helping inebriated people.

Sgt Lovick added that he wanted people to still enjoy themselves but be more responsible when on nights out.

“We have seen a small increase in calls requiring both police and paramedics to deal with people who are completely inebriated through excessive drinking. These people put themselves at risk both physically and medically.

“We want people to come to Preston, drink responsibly and have a safe night out. This operation is about reducing occurrences of violent crime and reducing the chances of becoming a victim of crime.”

The approach of students’ unions by police last week, asking for information on ‘vulnerable’ Muslim students, has been condemned by the National Union of Students and UCLan’s Islamic Society.

Police implementing the newly re-focused Prevent strategy – which aims to prevent terrorism as well as the supporting of it – approached universities and colleges across the country to ask that they are informed of Muslim students who appear isolated or depressed.

Students who access extremist websites or hold political grudges, are estranged from their families or have “poor access to mainstream religious instruction” could also be at risk of radicalisation, according to paperwork handed to staff.

But National Union of Students (NUS) Vice President (Welfare), Pete Mercer, vowed to continue challenging the Government and police nationally on their approach to preventing the radicalisation in universities and colleges.

Mercer said: “It is unacceptable that police would see it as appropriate to approach students’ unions for details of students who have not knowingly committed any criminal act.”

The NUS are advising their staff and officers they are under no obligation to provide police with any details – without first being presented with a warrant.

And, despite nobody from UCLan having yet been approached by officers, Islamic Society President, Mohammed Patel, said the move would stigmatise Muslim students.

“Every single Islamic Society in the country, without a doubt, will condemn any form of extremism,” he said. “However, what we will not support is the invasion of privacy and effectively allow the staff to ‘spy’ on its students,” he said.

“Undoubtedly, Muslims and non-Muslims alike need to be vigilant in these times towards any suspicious activity. However, to spy on students is outrageous and to stereotype a whole community is irrational, especially when Islamaphobia proliferates daily.”

And rather than spending money on schemes such as Prevent, which launched in 2007 ahead of its review earlier this year, Patel believes money should instead be provided for more inter-faith work to promote a better understanding of faiths and to dispel common misconceptions.

He said: “A person with a lack of understanding (of the Muslim faith) may wonder why a student is going into the Multifaith Centre five times a day.

“Due to a lack of knowledge, they might not know the student is fulfilling their obligatory acts of worship.”

Part of CONTEST, the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, Prevent was previously criticised by Home Secretary, Theresa May, who said it had resulted in “complacency” around universities.

Over the next four years, Prevent aims to counter the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat of those who promote it.

They also aim to prevent people from being radicalised and to work with a wide range of sectors – including education, criminal justice, charities and the Internet – where, according to the government, there are risks of radicalisation.

Cordoned off: The scene at on Friargate this morning

Police have managed to bring down a man who had been on Friargate rooftops for nine hours.

The man was reported up there soon after 5am eventually came down at around 2pm.

Friargate was closed until lunch time causing tailbacks on nearby roads. The road has since been reopened despite the man’s refusing to come down.

A police spokesman said: “An investigation is underway to establish if any criminal offences have been committed.”

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