A UNIVERSITY student who attended a Bromsgrove independent boarding school has hit national headlines after being fined £10,000 for throwing a party that breached coronavirus laws.

Former Bromsgrove School pupil Stuart Hawk, 19, was landed with the hefty penalty for the get-together at his student house in Nottingham last Friday (September 11).

Mr Hawk reportedly admitted the party got 'out of hand' after more guests turned up than expected and has apologised to neighbours in the Lenton suburb of Nottingham.

The politics student claimed only 25 people were invited to the soiree but around 50 turned up, leading disturbed neighbours to report the party to police.

Nottinghamshire Police said Mr Hawk was given the chance to shut down the party before he was fined the maximum amount under new powers introduced last month.

The party happened just days before this week's introduction of new Government laws that limit gatherings nationwide to just six people.

Hawk, who completed a Brave the Shave for Macmillan Cancer Support last year, is believed to have sent a letter to neighbours apologising for the party.

He told the Daily Mail: "It has all been a big shock. Of course we would all like to apologise to any neighbour who might have been offended."

Assistant chief constable Steve Cooper from Nottinghamshire Police said: "We need to all remember we are very much still in the middle of a global pandemic and we all need to take responsibility for our actions.

"This party was a clear example of a householder who deliberately flouted the rules without a care for anyone else and as a result we have used the full powers we have to deal with this.

"Under current rules we can issue fines to anyone hosting gatherings of more than 30 people which can result in fines of up to £10,000."

However, Mr Hawk slammed the punishment as 'ridiculous' when talking to The Sun about the incident.

He told SunOnline: “This fine is a ridiculous amount. The party got out of hand, for that I am very sorry but it was not meant to offend.”

The letter that Hawk and his housemates sent to neighbours read: "I am writing to apologise for any upset that was caused as a result of a foolish gathering that we hosted last night.

"With two housemates turning 21 recently, we were hoping to have a celebration that stayed within the guidelines of the current Covid-19 regulations.

"However it quickly became out of hand as more than the initial 25 invited friends arrived at our house.

"It was never our intention to disrupt your evening.

"It was a major lapse of judgement on our end given both the disturbance we caused as well as the current pandemic that is taking a toll on our society.

"We are eager to make amends and plus if there is anything we can do in the future please don’t hesitate to let us know. Our most sincere apologises."

The Advertiser contacted Bromsgrove School but they declined to comment on the activities of a former pupil no longer at the school.