Oxford universities crack down on ‘robbing college students’ after dozens of cutlery and glasses go missing from posh dining rooms
Two of Oxford’s oldest universities have been forced to crack down on student thieves as brand name plates and glasses have disappeared from university halls.
Balliol College said it would stop using university crest cups and placemats at its students’ dinner parties as many are disappearing.
The university hosts formal three-course dinners every Tuesday during term and said it was still 20 cups short at a recent evening event.
Students were caught using pockets and bags to smuggle out coveted tableware from fancy dinner parties.
And Magdalen College declared an amnesty on tableware, but warned students not to return college items that would be treated as theft.
Balliol College said staff had to run to find extra cups and placemats while setting tables as many were missing.
The university hosts formal three-course dinners every Tuesday during term and said it was still 20 cups short in a single night.
Balliol College students were told the university was “disappointed” to have to tell the emails to stop.
Students have long prided themselves on collecting college-branded “stash” including hoodies, tracksuits and scarves, but the “incredibly selfish” trend of stealing plates and glasses has gone too far.
An email sent to Balliol students said the thefts were causing additional stress for university staff.
“I am very sorry to say that we will no longer be using Balliol crest cups or place mats for student dinners,” the email read.
‘Hall staff had to ask many students last night to empty cups they had stolen from their pockets and bags from the table; even with this being the case, 20 were still stolen.
‘The cutlery and crockery we use in Hall have to be paid for, if it’s lost then we have to pay to replace it. This is money that is not later available to spend in other areas.
“Some of the items are used throughout the Balliol dinner, not just Tuesday Hall. The staff don’t count the cups and placemats after a dinner; you’re going to have to start doing it because of the incredibly selfish actions of some of you.’
The university offers its dining room, which seats 226 guests, for private hire, with prices starting at £64.75 per head for a “truly remarkable dining experience”.
Balliol College dining hall. Students stole 20 mugs in a single night during a recent formal dinner, according to an email from the university.
In an email, Balliol students were warned to stop drinking glasses at formal evening events after 20 were stolen in a single night.
Students can eat in the formal halls every day, and many universities host three-course dinners several times a week.
‘When a full room needs to be stocked and it is discovered that there are no longer enough cups or placemats, staff have to go around the school looking in every pantry to see if they can produce something extra and, if not, make do with what they can
‘This may seem trivial to some of you, however the added stress when it comes to a busy night is unnecessary and not what the Catering staff who work so hard to look after you all should have to put up with.
“I am extremely disappointed to have to email adults studying at Balliol College asking them not to steal.”
Students have been stealing plates, cups and placemats from formal dinner parties at Oxford colleges.
A formal dinner at Magdalen College, Oxford. The university hosts four formal dinners a week during term time, costing students around £10 per person.
A formal dinner at Magdalen College, Oxford. The university hosts four formal dinners a week during term time, costing students around £10 per person.
Magdalen told the students that if they did not return the items by Friday, the ‘fashion’ of taking the plates would be considered stealing.
Magdalen College said the ‘craze’ for taking souvenirs had worsened and offered students the chance to return the items before March 10.
The university, famous for being the place where CS Lewis wrote Narnia, hosts four formal dinners a week, along with ‘Special Formals’.
He told the students that any further theft would be taken very seriously.
‘After this period, any item of College property found in the possession of a student will be considered theft and will be treated as such.’