Welsh Varsity 2017

A Cardiff University spokesperson said: “The state of Cardiff city centre – especially Bute Park and areas surrounding Cardiff Castle - after yesterday’s Varsity is disappointing and we apologise to local residents and visitors alike.

“As part of the planning for such a large scale event as Varsity, Cardiff University and Cardiff Students’ Union works closely with key partners including Cardiff Council and South Wales Police. The planning process includes considering the wider implications of hosting such a large student event like noise, responsible drinking and avoiding inappropriate behaviour.

“We had teams of Cardiff student volunteers working alongside staff from Cardiff Council and South Wales Police to ensure the event was managed, policed and remained as incident free as possible. On the whole, these proactive measures proved effective.

“However local residents are, quite rightly, asking what is being done to clean up the rubbish. Teams of Cardiff University student volunteers are out in the city picking up litter. They are paying particular attention to those areas worst affected including Cardiff Castle and Bute park. Cardiff University Students’ Union is in contact with Cardiff Council on today’s clean-up exercise.

“We can assure residents that Cardiff University takes its responsibilities to the city and to the local community extremely seriously. We will look again at what more can be done to ensure this is not repeated.”