Vice-Chancellor Prof Keith Burnett and students' union officers took the unusual step of sending a joint letter to all students following a series of complaints about noise and mess during the first week of term.

READ MORE: Residents say they are being driven out by rowdy students

Posters were sent out, warning students that this kind of behaviour was unacceptable. And Prof Dominic Shellard, in charge of external affairs, paid spot visits to households on both sides of the neighbourhood divide in a bid to smooth the way for better relations.

READ MORE: Students told to be good neighbours

A week after the freshers' week furore, an uneasy truce reigns in the student-dominated areas of Broomhill and Endcliffe, where disruption hit a peak last week.

Four drunken students were arrested after an early hours row over queue jumping at a takeaway outlet in Ecclesall Road and five were issued with fixed penalty notices for disorderly behaviour.

But generally they were guilty of over-exuberance rather than breaking the law.

"Last week the city was really lively, with 30,000 students arriving in town, but we've not seen any significant increase in violent crime or criminal damage," said Chief Insp Pat Casserly.

"Inevitably there have been a few hot-heads who've drunk too much and I can really empathise with the people who are suffering noise nuisance but the police only have powers to deal with disturbances that take place in the streets – not in private houses."

Police and security patrols have been stepped up in a bid to limit disruption and the students' union is renewing its 'Shhh' campaign. Police also acted swiftly when alerted about fast food outlets that were staying open illegally until after 2am.

But locals remain sceptical about the impact of the measures.

"We shall be looking to see whether they have any effect on the frequency with which working families are woken up by students returning in the small hours," said resident John Birtwhistle, who is calling on the university to re-think the promotion of freshers' week.

"We hear a lot about the vast economic benefits of students to the city but there is also a cost – and a disproportionate part of that cost is suffered by the residential suburbs. On Wednesday night at three we were woken up by a student addressing the street through an electronic megaphone.

"If the benefits are so great, then mitigating their side effects should be a reasonable expense."

Writer Danuta Reah, another local, said most residents were not anti-student:

"I think the university adds immeasurably to Sheffield and I'm proud that we have such a prestigious organisation in the city. But what the majority of people don't like is inconsiderate, loutish behaviour."

And many of the students themselves joined their neighbours in condemning the disruption.

"As a student who is just starting his second year I have to say how disappointed and embarrassed I am by the mindless selfishness of those responsible for this anti-social behaviour" said Craig Nicholson, of Crookes.

"It tarnishes the reputation of all students at the university when sadly it is just a brainless minority; a minority which nonetheless should be punished for their actions.

"Exuberance and celebration is understandable at the start of a new adventure like university but it is no excuse for thuggish behaviour which ruins the lives of neighbours who have lived in Sheffield peacefully since long before the students turned up."

READ MORE: Positive side of the return of the students

Meanwhile, police remain optimistic that normality has now resumed – and improved neighbourhood policing will keep it that way.

"Statistically the last week has been a success," said Chief Insp Casserly. "In terms of quality of life I don't think we've had more disruption in the community than usual, which certainly wasn't the case six years ago."

Operation Socratic, an award-winning system of assertive policing developed over the last five years, has helped to cut the number of street robberies and burglaries involving student victims by more than two-thirds.


PANEL QUESTION: Are Sheffield students rowdy?

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