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Mystery intruders force closure of campus tunnel

People seen, furniture found, parties detected. All happening in Science's underground passageway

Perhaps the student housing situation has become so extreme, that students have had to become more creative?

The identity of the intruders has yet to be revealed, but police and Campus Service have reported that unknown guests have been staying in the botanical gardens overnight at the Frederiksberg Campus. This had led to the nighttime closing of the gardens, and the blocking off of the tunnel by large and ominous metal gates on both sides.

Søren Hassing, head of Campus Service at the Faculty of Science, confirms to the University Post that for the past few weeks, garden staff have found old furniture in the underground tunnel. The tunnel lies directly under Thorvaldsensvej, running between Bülowsvej and Grønnegårdsvej.

Now closed

Søren reports that ”guests in the park were bothered in the evening at night by these other, unwanted ‘guests’, who have been observed having parties in the gardens above the tunnel, and using the above-ground garden area as a ‘toilet’.”

It is apparently the neighbours and visitors that have made complaints to the police.

Campus Service has made the decision to completely close down the tunnel, to ensure that no one can enter, even during the daytime.

Will have to find somewhere else

The tunnel was originally built as a passageway for students and professors to avoid traffic on the road, but is rarely used.

”Students don’t use the tunnel,” says Søren, ”so we don’t think this will be an inconvenience.”

According to Søren, the identity of these intruders has been suggested by neighbours and police to be of Roma descent, or described as ‘gypsies’.

Neighbours speculate

”In the newspapers, stories often occur about ‘Romas’ taking up areas in the city to stay.” says Søren, further alluding to the potential identity of these underground residents.

”But now we have closed the tunnel, they will have to find somewhere else.”

Søren and Campus Service believe that this will completely remove the intruders from the area. They have been observed leaving the premises around 7.30 in the morning, and arriving again nightly, after sunset.

Søren notes that all of the campus buildings are locked after office hours, and that a university entrance card is needed for access.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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