Celebrating Halloween and Bonfire Night responsibly
A message from Lucy Backhurst, Academic Registrar, about staying safe, respecting your neighbours and looking after our local communities during the celebrations.
26 October 2026
We hope that you have settled in well into the academic year. Ahead of Halloween and Bonfire Night, we'd like to remind everyone to be respectful and considerate of neighbours while socialising and celebrating in our local communities.
We have received a number of complaints from Councillors in Jesmond over the past weeks.
We want to encourage you to have fun, stay safe, and help keep our communities welcoming by respecting those around you, disposing of litter responsibly, and being aware of the impact your behaviour can have on those around you.
Mindful socialising
Please be considerate to your neighbours, especially in relation to noise levels. For your safety and to avoid noise complaints, attend organised events rather than personal parties with your own fireworks.
Many people have different priorities and schedules, neighbours may be older, have health issues, may be other students with deadlines to meet or have children or pets who may be frightened by loud noise.
Responsible drinking & safety
We understand that alcohol can play a part in university life for many students, and we want you and your friends to stay safe when celebrating. For advice on staying safe, please visit the Student Health and Wellbeing webpages.
Supporting community cleanliness
If you’re socialising at Halloween or Bonfire Night, please dispose of your litter responsibly and play your part in keeping our Newcastle community clean.
The University has had reports of pets who have been hurt by broken glass in back alleys and we have also had reports of street urination and large, loud groups of students being rude and offensive in public.
Security
We have had a number of reports of theft from student properties. Please remember to secure your accommodation and protect your belongings.
Keep valuables out of sight, always lock doors and windows, and never leave personal items unattended. Taking simple precautions can help prevent theft.
All students have a responsibility to ensure that their behaviour does not have a negative impact on their neighbours, including long-term residents and other students.
The majority of our students make very positive contributions to the local community and do not set out to cause a disturbance, but we do receive more complaints about behaviour at this time of year.
The University will contact any student or household alleged to have engaged in anti-social behaviour in accordance with the Student Disciplinary Procedures .
This can lead to fines, warnings on record, or working with the Council to report the disruption to your landlord.
University guidance for students living in the community is available at WYNTK Antisocial Behaviour and Noise Nuisance.pdf
We ask you to enjoy this time of year at University, but to do so respectfully.