Teenagers to appear in court over claims of ‘racist’ chants in Nottingham Trent student halls

Two teenagers will appear in court after a video of alleged racist chanting in student halls went viral.

Rufaro Chisango, a Nottingham Trent University student, posted footage she recorded on social media last month – which included chants of “We hate the blacks” and “Sign the Brexit papers”.

Joe Tivnan, 18, from Birmingham, and Lauren Leigh, 18, from Nottingham, have been summoned to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on May 24.

The pair will answer to charges of racially or religiously aggravated harassment.

No further action will be taken against a second man, also 18, who was arrested in connection with the incident, Nottinghamshire police added.

Ms Chisango, who posted the video on Twitter, tweeted at the time: “Words cannot describe how sad this makes me feel, in this 2018 people think this is still acceptable.”

Nottingham Trent University suspended the suspected perpetrators following an investigation.

There have been a number of reports of racist incidents at universities. Sheffield Hallam University launched an investigation after a black student was allegedly called a monkey by staff.

The incident came after a banana was reportedly thrown at a black Sheffield Hallam graduate during an ice hockey match between his alma mater and city rivals, the University of Sheffield.

And members of a student law society at the University of Exeter were suspended after private WhatsApp conversations containing racist comments were shared on social media.