ROWDY students face heavy fines, community service or even being kicked out of university accommodation if they continue to disturb a York village.

Extra security patrols have been brought in to monitor University of York students in Heslington as they arrive home from pubs and clubs late at night.

Villagers complain of noisy and anti-social behaviour and claim football matches, shopping trolley races and other drunken games are staged in quiet residential streets.

Vice-chancellor Professor Brian Cantor has unveiled a string of measures and punishments aimed at addressing the problem in a letter to sent to residents in the Holmefield Lane area.

He has urged householders to contact the university security service with information to help apprehend the culprits, who could be fined £100 or made to perform community work.

But local farmer David Pearcy, 72, said Heslington was being "swamped" by the sheer volume of students, making extra noise and disruption inevitable.

He doubted the extra measures would have any affect, and accused the university of paying lip service to the needs of its neighbours.

Heslington Parish Council vice-chair Susan Stern said only a minority of students were responsible for the disturbances. She said parish leaders would like to see the student housing close to residences set aside for mature students and post-graduates.

University spokesperson Hilary Layton said: "We have to show there are deterrents and policies in place to deal with it. We must be clear that it is unacceptable to behave in a certain way."

The moves follow a series of meetings between residents, the university and council workers over the problems at Halifax College and Eden's Court.

Security officers will wait in Holmefield Lane at campus bar closing times and after club emptying hours on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Updated: 11:21 Wednesday, April 02, 2003