STUDENTS were praised for their behaviour during an organised pub crawl in Colchester.

About 1,500 youngsters descended on the town centre for the Carnage UK event.

There were no arrests and only one student was banned from the centre for the night.

Similar pub crawls run by the company sparked controversy, prompting Colchester police to draft in extra officers and Essex University’s Students’ Union to ban advertising of the event on its premises.

Insp Jim White praised students’ behaviour, and event organisers and marshals for keeping revellers in check.

He said: “It was a good event, well run and passed without incident. The students were good- natured.

“Having the SOS Bus in the town was a very good idea and it was used a number of times.”

Insp White said the only issue raised afterwards was the lack of taxis.

The East of England Ambulance Service was called to a 19-year-old woman who hit her head on a post in Head Street at 12.30am and to an 18-year-old man suffering breathing problems in High Street at 3am.

Both were taken to Colchester General Hospital for treatment.

The route for Monday’s event included Yates’ in Head Street, TP’s Sports Bar and Route in Queen Street and the Slug and Lettuce and Liquid nightclub in High Street.

Organisers plan another pub crawl in Colchester on March 14. The event, with a sailors’ and pirates’ theme, is the last one scheduled for the town this year.

The Varsity Leisure Group, which runs Carnage UK, said it had worked closely with the venues involved.

As well as its five event managers, it had paid for eight stewards and for the SOS Bus to be in attendance.

Essex University student Nikki Atkinson, 18, said: “We had a good night and enjoyed talking to people.

“But we were planning on drinking responsibly.”