A campaign designed to minimise nighttime noise in the city's residential areas has been criticised by students.
Brightly coloured messages were recently sprayed on street pavements in Exeter in a bid to encourage students to be quiet when passing through suburban areas after dark.
The project, involving Devon and Cornwall Police and Exeter City Council, was intended to politely remind students to be considerate of those sleeping in neighbourhood areas of the city.
But in an article on the student website 'Exeter Tab', the campaign was branded as 'futile'.
Police were also accused of "defacing pavements" in an effort to "shut students up".
Olivia Ponton said: "I haven't actually seen the messages, so they're really not that effective."
Sophie Davidson said: "I don't really get what it means. They're quite silly."
Pheobe Wood added: "One must question the thought process behind appealing through words to students who are too blind-drunk to read them."
The chalk stencils read 'Neighbours Sleeping. Thank You' and include the image of a 'Silent' symbol from a mobile phone.
Other pavement messages mark Alcohol Control Zones, in which police officers are able to confiscate alcohol products being consumed on the street. They are all designed to wear off over time.
Around 7,000 new university students arrived in the city last weekend for the start of the annual Freshers' Week.
A 'Welcome Team' of 180 student volunteers are in place to help and look after the new students.
