Controversial student pub crawl makes return to city

EXTRA police will be patrolling the streets of Sheffield when pub crawl organiser Carnage UK stages another event in the city later this month.

Council leader Paul Scriven has also written to landlords and pub managers, reminding them of the conditions of their licence and warning them to keep the “Cops and Robbers”-themed event, on Sunday, February 21, under control.

Carnage UK became embroiled in controversy after Sheffield Hallam University student Philip Laing, 19, was photographed urinating on the war memorial in Barker’s Pool following one of the company’s organised pub crawls in October.

Laing, who has now left the university, admitted outraging public decency and had been warned he could face jail, but instead was ordered to do 250 hours of community service.

Coun Scriven said he wanted to ensure this month’s Carnage event goes ahead smoothly and there are no repeats of the drunken scenes witnessed at previous pub crawls.

Despite calls for it to be cancelled, a follow-up Carnage UK event three weeks after Laing was photographed went ahead and resulted in two revellers being arrested – one for urinating in the street and another for trying to steal a policeman’s helmet.

Coun Scriven said: “Carnage UK must have thought that branding their event on a ‘Cops and Robbers’ theme is some kind of ironic humour.

“But getting boozed up and ending up in trouble with the law is no joke, as no doubt some of the previous participants in Carnage UK could tell you.

“I want to make sure all participating bars understand they will be held to account if they break the terms of their licence, which includes not serving people who are already drunk.”

Students taking part in the Carnage UK pub crawl will visit five different bars on Sheffield’s busy West Street before going on to the Embrace nightclub in Barker’s Pool – next to the war memorial.

Superintendent Peter Norman from South Yorkshire Police confirmed that extra officers will be working and said drunken behaviour would be dealt with in a “firm and robust nature”.

He said: “Carnage is an event that operates nationally and following the disgraceful incident on October 10, 2009, when the student Philip Laing urinated on the city centre war memorial, Carnage event organisers ensured additional stewards were working for the subsequent Sheffield event on October 25, 2009.

That Carnage event passed without incident, as had previous Carnage events.

“Young people should be aware that drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can substantially alter your behaviour for the evening, whereas a criminal conviction can substantially alter the rest of your employable life.”

A spokeswoman for Varsity Leisure Group Ltd (VLG), owner of the Carnage UK brand, said the company had invited Coun Scriven to a meeting to discuss the Carnage UK events but he had not responded to the letter.

She added: “Cops and Robbers is an established theme for fancy dress events. VLG has been running events with this theme for many years across the country.”

VLG also says that Carnage UK does not promote binge drinking and free soft drinks are available for students at its events.

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