Dangerous alleways around the university are putting students at risk of crime, a York Vision investigation has found.
Three routes on the Heslington West campus do not contain warning signs instructing students not to use t
he path, particularly late at night, while another does – but has a gate left wide open.
All the routes, found to be used more by first year students than anyone else, do not contain lighting and could be putting hundreds of students in danger. The four areas under investigation were the allotments path between Wentworth College and Fulford, the Heslington Road alleyway, the path between Halifax College and Heslington Hall and the route leading from Halifax College to the end of Heslington Village.
A Vision poll, surveying 270 undergraduates and postgraduates, found more than 90 per cent had used a route listed last term.
Of those who said they did, almost half (46%) were first years, three in 10 (29%) were second years and one in five (21%) were third years. Just four per cent said they were postgraduates.
One student who wished to remain anonymous told Vision: “One night coming back from town, I ended up walking alone down Retreat Lane. I spotted someone coming at me. My heart wouldn’t stop beating – I was terrified.”
YUSU’s Welfare and Community Officer Jemima Busby said that students should be vigilant when using these routes late at night. “Although York is a comparatively safe city, there are unfortunately some routes to and around campus which can be dangerous.
“The most we can do right now is make students aware of these, so my advice is simple but important: if a route makes you nervous or is signposted as less safe overnight, then please don’t use it.
“We’re working on improving the lighting around campus, but this is a slow process, and we don’t want students to compromise their safety in the meantime.”