Around 1,500 students dressed as cops and robbers joined in the massive bar crawl through the city centre, organised by controversial entertainment firm Carnage UK.

The revellers, from both of the city’s universities, toured pubs in the Bedford Place and Above Bar areas before partying until 3am in Squares, which had an extended late licence for the event.

But despite some flashpoints, police say there were no arrests during the evening, and organisers hailed the night as a successful, “fun evening of entertainment”.

The controversial event was staged just months after pubs and clubs in Bedford Place were criticised for encouraging anti-social behaviour by offering discounted booze to students.

Carnage has been heavily criticised for encouraging binge drinking and rowdy behaviour at its controversial bar crawls, which are operated in university towns and cities across the UK.

Both the University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University have banned the firm from running its events on their campuses as part of their initiatives to encourage responsible drinking.

They also refuse Carnage permission to advertise on site.

A spokeswoman for Solent University said: “We have a very clear position on Carnage with our students’ union – there was a time when they used our union as a venue, but we no longer allow that to be the case and discourage our students’ involvement with Carnage.”

University representatives often accompany police and council officials on known student nights out to talk to revellers and ensure good behaviour, and the spokeswoman added that this would probably happen at the next Carnage event, planned for March.

Simon Higman, registrar and chief operating officer at the University of Southampton, said: “The University of Southampton and the Students’ Union work closely together to raise awareness of the dangers of excessive drinking.

“We are very concerned about any commercial organisation that encourages this kind of event.”

But a Carnage spokesman said the Southampton event was chaperoned by 60 stewards to ensure it passed off without incident.

“Thursday night’s Carnage UK Southampton fancy dress student event saw students from both universities come together to enjoy a fun evening of entertainment.

“Long queues could be seen at the busy mid-week event, which welcomed in students from a variety of social and ethnic backgrounds, appears to have passed off peacefully again.”

Pat Othen, from the Polygon Residents Association, said she was awoken by rowdy behaviour in the streets in the early hours of Friday morning.

“It was absolutely dreadful,” she said.

“I got woken up at around 2.30am, and there were gangs of drunks out there screaming and shouting in the streets and waking everybody up.”