Community relations – not the first

Reading University has just employed a community relations manager

University bosses have appointed a troubleshooter to put an end to antisocial behaviour by students affecting residents. Reading University’s new community relations manager, has vowed to take “prompt action” over any student troublemakers. But she emphasised that most students were “an asset to the community”. The university has said it hopes the appointment will “build bridges” with residents living near the town campus.

This is undoubtedly a good thing – and at least they don’t claim to be the first to do this. The brief is the right one too and is to be applauded. However the headline “New role to fight student trouble” is perhaps a little more aggressive than the bridge-building that the post-holder is intended to be undertaking.