James, Earl of Wessex’s University Boosts Campus Security Following Local Knife Incident
The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) in Cirencester has moved to bolster on-campus safety measures following a high-profile knife crime incident in the local area, where James, Earl of Wessex, is currently enrolled.
The 18-year-old royal—the son of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh—is in his first term studying Rural Land and Property Management at the Gloucestershire institution, residing away from his family home at Bagshot Park in Surrey.
Recruitment for On-Site Security and Welfare Officers
The university recently opened recruitment for a new on-site Security and Welfare Officer to reinforce safety protocols across campus grounds.
Publicized via Jobcentre Plus Gloucestershire, the permanent role offers a starting salary between £24,215 and £27,319 per year. Key duties include:
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Patrolling campus perimeters and residential halls
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Responding directly to emergency incidents and safeguarding student wellbeing
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Providing an active, visible security presence across the university estate during standard hours and major events
Local Incident Sparks Community Concerns
The focus on campus security follows community anxiety surrounding a violent assault that occurred in Cirencester earlier this year.
On March 15, a 14-year-old boy attacked a teenage girl with a six-inch kitchen knife inside a local corner shop. While the victim survived the assault, she detailed enduring severe psychological trauma in her victim impact statement, including recurring nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and a loss of personal independence.
The case resurfaced in regional headlines after the youth offender received a 12-month referral order alongside a three-year restraining order—a sentence that drew sharp public criticism and online debate over the leniency of penalties for knife-related offenses.
With the young royal settling into university life in Gloucestershire, the institution’s stepped-up recruitment drive aims to ensure a secure, reassuring environment for the entire student body and campus community.
