Thousands of university students across Britain enjoyed their first taste of freedom on Freshers’ Week last night.
More than 5,000 teenagers beginning their studies at the University of Portsmouth partied into the early hours at six bars and clubs around the city on the biggest event of the week, called the ‘Big Night Out’ pub crawl.
The students converged around the Portsmouth Guildhall area, with some queues going around the block for The Astoria nightclub, one of the most popular venues in the city with its ‘Dirty Disco’ themed night.
Many security guards, police and Christian street pastors patrolled the area overnight to keep the peace and try to ensure everyone was safe – with Guildhall Walk resembling the Magaluf strip with the numbers of people.
The pub crawl started at 8pm at Mr Miyagi’s Bar with the students then moving onto other venues – The Astoria, Pryzm, Popworld, The Fleet and The Dockyard pub for the exclusive use by the students with their wristbands.
It follows reports that the Waterhole Bar at the university is set to be replaced by a coffee shop after a huge drop in alcohol sales. It will be turned it into a ‘social space’ which will also feature microwaves for students.
Students were also photographed out in Birmingham last night as Freshers’ Week in the West Midlands kicked off with a bar crawl for Aston University students on Broad Street, famous for its strip of night clubs.
The bar crawl took thousands of new starters through the area after starting off at their student union, visiting bars and clubs including Walkabout, Coyote Ugly, Rosies, Revolution and finishing at Pryzm.
Meanwhile in Manchester last night, students gathered in the bars and clubs to celebrate the start of university, although some were clearly worse for wear and needed some help from friends as they sat on the pavement.
Portsmouth University students make the most of Freshers’ Week yesterday evening during the ‘Big Night Out’ pub crawl
Thousands of teenagers beginning their studies at the University of Portsmouth partied into the early hours overnight
Four young women walk arm-in-arm as university students enjoy their first taste of freedom during Freshers’ Week
The students partied into the early hours at six bars and clubs around the city on the biggest event of the week
Thousands of teenagers walk through the streets of Portsmouth last night during the ‘Big Night Out’ pub crawl
A young man carries a bottle of vodka as three women walk behind him in Portsmouth during Freshers’ Week last night
The students converged around the Portsmouth Guildhall area yesterday evening for the ‘Big Night Out’ pub crawl
Queues went around the block The Astoria nightclub, one of the most popular venues with its ‘Dirty Disco’ themed night
Students walk through the streets of Portsmouth last night, which was also being patrolled by security guards and police
The pub crawl started at 8pm yesterday at Mr Miyagi’s Bar in Portsmouth with the students then moving onto other venues
The Astoria, Pryzm, Popworld, The Fleet and The Dockyard pub were exclusively used by students with wristbands last night
Four young women walk outside a venue in Portsmouth yesterday evening during the ‘Big Night Out’ pub crawl
Guildhall Walk in Portsmouth resembled the Magaluf strip overnight with the numbers of people out on the street
Three women sit on one of the stone lions in Portsmouth’s Guildhall Square during the party yesterday evening
A group of women stand outside a venue in Portsmouth last night during the Freshers’ Week party for students
More than 5,000 university students enjoyed enjoyed their first taste of freedom during the Portsmouth Freshers’ Week
A person collapsed on the pavement in Portsmouth is helped by someone as two police officers also come over to their aid
A pedestrian is helped up by two men in Portsmouth last night during the Freshers’ Week celebrations
Two women walk along the pavements as huge numbers of students queue to get into a venue during the event last night
Two police officers walk alongside three men outside The Dockyard in Portsmouth as students converge for Freshers’ Week
A man and woman walk in the road during the Freshers’ Week celebrations in Portsmouth yesterday evening
A group of women enjoy takeaway hot dogs to keep them going during the Freshers’ Week partying yesterday evening
A woman holds her shoes as she walks barefoot in Portsmouth, while a man and woman look at a phone on the pavement
Students were also pictured partying in Birmingham last night as Freshers’ Week kicked off with an Aston University bar crawl
Aston University students were among those out in Birmingham’s Broad Street last night, famous for its strip of night clubs
The bar crawl took thousands of new starters through the Birmingham area after starting off at their student union
Students in Birmingham visited bars and clubs including Walkabout, Coyote Ugly, Rosies, Revolution and finished at Pryzm
Freshers’ Week is set to continue throughout this week in Birmingham to bring new students together at Aston University
A man gives the thumbs up to another slumped on the pavement during Freshers’ Week celebrations in Birmingham last night
Thousands of revellers hit Birmingham on a normally quiet night with Walkabout, Rosie’s and Players Bar all selling out
A woman laughs as she lies on the ground during Freshers’ Week celebrations in Birmingham overnight
West Midlands Ambulance Service workers were kept busy as they attended to some of the revellers in Birmingham last night
Freshers’ Week in Manchester was also underway last night, including events such as ‘Freshers’ Zoo’ and ‘Battle of the Unis’
Revellers in Manchester could be seen enjoying their new-found freedom in the city’s bars and clubs last night
One woman needed some help as she sat on the pavement, but most students had a riotous time in Manchester last night
Two young women head for one of the freshers events in Manchester (left), while a man throws up outside Revolution (right)
Two Greater Manchester Police officers watch on during the Freshers’ Week events in the city yesterday evening