Hundreds of Leeds students celebrate end of term at illegal street rave in UK's WORST-hit Indian variant area... before they head off to homes across country

Footage of hundreds of partying Leeds students crammed together and dancing through the night at an illegal street rave has emerged.

The illegal street rave comes as Indian variant infections tear through the city making the Hyde Park area one of the worst-hit Covid areas in the UK.   

Neighbours living near the student area in Leeds were kept awake on Saturday night by a large street rave attended by a bumper crowd of student revellers.

The public rave was held at the end of the academic year, days before thousands of students are due to travel home to towns and cities across the UK. 

Neil Walshaw, councillor for Headingley and Hyde Park, told MailOnline parents had arrived in their droves to bring students home today. 

Those living nearby were driven to fury by the potential super-spreader event as Leeds was reported to have the single highest Covid-19 rate in the entire country.

The hotspot has the worst infection rate currently with 1,393.6 cases per 100,000 people.

The city is fourth of the list of worst infected UK cities, according to ITV News, with 3,079 infections. The number of cases in Leeds is up 555 on the week before.

The illegal street rave came despite the city being named one of the UK's worst coronavirus hotspots

Witnesses claim around 300 students were at the party from 5pm on Saturday afternoon until 6am on Sunday.

One neighbour said: 'The party took place on a backstreet and started in a house's backyard. There was DJ equipment and speakers set up around 10pm and the music started playing quite loud but not too bad.

'There were about 50 people when I first noticed the noise but as the night progressed, the number of people arriving increased exponentially.

Witnesses claim around 300 students were at the party from 5pm on Saturday afternoon until 6am on Sunday

'This caused people to spill out of the initial area and cover the whole road and the surrounding backyard.

'There were people standing on walls and bins as well as climbing trees and chanting.

'From what I could tell, attendees weren't there by invite - they just heard and followed the music.

'If I was to estimate, there were at least 300 people there at the peak of the night at around 3am.' 

Neil Walshaw, councillor for Headingley and Hyde Park, told MailOnline: It is a serious issue and a breach of covid regulations. Police are looking into it. We do take these things very seriously. 

'From my point of view, I’ve met with a lot of students, it is party season but that was a lot for local residents to put up with. We’re looking into it in detail. One of the big drivers is there’s nowhere else to go. I would just ask the students to please just think about the mess you leave behind. 

One social media user complained partygoers had used their garden as a urinal during a 'two-day' party

'Glass is a nightmare for small children and pets and is really awful. I’m currently in the area watching students leave. The parents are loading everything into cars which will be a relief for everyone. The party season will be tailing off quite rapidly.’

One social media user complained partygoers had used their garden as a urinal during a 'two-day' party.

They wrote: 'Do you know who I need to contact to request a street is cleaned. Neighbours had a massive 2 day party over the weekend and their guests used the street (including fences, gates and sheds of other houses on the street) as toilets - thanks.'

Another added: 'Hyde Park in Leeds has one of the highest Covid rates in the entire country and some people thought it’d be a good idea to throw a huge street party with 200+ people.'

One penned: 'i have THE FEAR listening to all these simultaneous house parties on my street when i’m in iso from simply getting my jab. leeds is CRAWLING.' 

Leeds coronavirus cases: Infections up 555 on last week with one death 

There were 1,805 confirmed coronavirus cases in Leeds this week, up 555 on the week before.

County-wide, Yorkshire and Humber had 6,151 positive tests this week, up 1,652 on the previous seven days.  

Meanwhile, in another positive sign of the success of the vaccination programme, deaths appear to be falling.

There was one death from Covid-19 in Leeds last week, which was down by two on the previous week, according to Leeds.gov.uk.

A notice on its website explains the action-plan for reducing the transmission rate in the city.

It reads: 'Our focus is to break the chains of transmission and ensure that more people, to do more of the right thing, more of the time, because they choose to. 

'In the year ahead we need to live with the virus safely. Our approach is to balance the priorities of minimising the impacts of the virus on the most vulnerable and bringing overall infection levels down, while safely reopening the economy and society and pressing ahead with socioeconomic recovery.'