No ban on foreign students in Plymouth

Large groups of foreign students will not be banned from entering shops in Plymouth city centre.

A document from traders' group Plymouth Against Retail Crime (PARC) suggested that students at the city's language schools were responsible for an increase in shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, and outlined a number of recommendations to deal with this.

These ideas were rejected six months ago, but an administrative error meant they weren't removed from a report presented to the council, which was made public yesterday.

Both the police and Plymouth City Centre Company have confirmed that none of PARC's recommendations will be implemented.

Police in Plymouth are currently involved in Operation Drake, which aims to make sure foreign students stay safe and enjoy their time in Plymouth. Officers also work with retailers to help them develop a positive relationship with the students.

City Centre Manager Clint Jones, who compiled the report, is keen to stress the positive contribution that language school students make to the city.

He also insists the comments have been taken out of context, and says this issue shouldn't overshadow all the positive things going on in Plymouth.

Clint Jones