STUDENTS have apologised on behalf of their partying peers after a video surfaced showing more than 100 freshers ignoring social distancing guidelines.

The video, filmed at Oxford Brookes University’s Cheney Student Village, pans across five student blocks with a sea of people rammed on the courtyard.

Earlier this week, the university admitted that partying students were behind a ‘small but growing’ number of coronavirus cases in the city.

On Wednesday, Public Health England said specialists were providing ‘expert advice and support’ to the university following ‘a number of’ confirmed cases in students.

Now, students have hit out at those ignoring Covid-19 guidelines.

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Second year student Dominic Kennell said: “Many of us are shocked, upset and quite frankly deeply ashamed of the behaviour the students have displayed.

“On behalf of the student body, we would like to state this behaviour is not tolerated at Brookes and while some students may have been careless, their careful and sensitive counterparts are judging them poorly.

“Brookes does have policies in place to keep the public and students Covid safe.

“The university stated prior to the beginning of the year that it will be taking action on students who do not follow the law, and national and university guidelines.

“We can’t defend my peers for their behaviour nor do we wish to.

Oxford Mail:

“But the vast majority of students are taking this global crisis seriously and the ones that aren’t will be followed up by the university, we are sure.

“We are sorry for the behaviour of the small group of students who do not follow the regulations.”

Biomedicine student Alexandra Knapper said it was sad that all students had been stigmatised following the parties.

She said: “I think we were all shocked, the precautions have been put in place and it’s really sad that a handful of people are ruining it for everyone and have decided to be ignorant.

“It’s kind of sad to have the Oxford Brookes name, yourself, and the university you chose, the university you like, be associated with this stigma.”

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Fresher student Matylda Kuczynska, from Blackpool, said the behaviour of students was unacceptable.

She said: “I think that obviously people feel robbed of their freshers, their experiences, and meeting people.

“But obviously it’s unacceptable, it was a massive group, and I’ve seen that in the photos.

“It’s important to remember it’s because people feel like they’re the main characters, they think they can’t get the virus, that they can’t spread it, they feel like heroes.

“It’s a shame because people applying next year don’t want to hear about big parties spreading coronavirus.”