University of Cambridge students have recently been the target of increasingly violent altercations in town.

In January a third-year student suffered severe injuries after he was assaulted with a bottle when he was leaving a pub on Castle Hill. The student, who has chosen to remain anonymous, described the incident as “unprovoked”.

“They were drunk and clearly looking for a fight. One of them hit me around the face with a bottle. As I tried to react, I was hit in the head, again with a bottle.”

As a result of the sharp blows, the student lost balance and fell on his elbow, breaking his arm. The injury has been so severe that he has had to degrade from his studies.

“I have now lost the feeling in half of my hand, and will need to wear a brace for three to six months,” he said.

More recently a group of students, including a former-Blues rower, were involved in an attack near St. John’s College.

As they made their way home at 12.30 am following a night out, Hardy Cubasch and his friends were followed from Market Square by a group of male local residents. On arriving at their accommodation in Portugal Place, a confrontation occurred in which the students were compelled to defend themselves.

“Initially I wasn't too concerned as we were walking within a main part of the City, most of which would have been under CCTV surveillance. Once it became obvious that they were concealing some form of weapons naturally our awareness escalated and protecting everyone in the group became paramount”, Cubasch said.

A porter from the nearby St. John’s College appeared on the scene shortly after the altercation began. Mistaking him for a policeman in high visibility clothing, the locals fled. However, having been alerted to the incident, police stopped the locals who alleged that they had been attacked by the students.

When questioned on the scene, the rower admitted to the assault and was arrested. However, he was released immediately after CCTV footage was consulted which showed that the group had been followed and his attack had been an act of lawful self-defence.

Tim Pullan, CID, who is investigating the case, told Varsity that “it was very clear that the aggressors were the Cambridge town people.”

Cubasch was keen to stress, “Don't be afraid to call the police or a friend immediately. We found the officers to be extremely polite and helpful and obviously aware that situations like ours are, unfortunately, not a rarity and can easily escalate into something serious.”

Incidents such as these have made some students fearful of being in town alone at night. One female student said, “I know from what my male friends tell me that on nights, during the weekend, they have come across aggressive gangs of men who just want to pick a fight.”

She added, “It’s a very scary prospect and has made me re-think where I walk late at night.”

The victim of the bottle attack, who is now recuperating from his injuries, advised students to be careful. “Just keep your wits about you and try to steer clear of trouble.”