Don’t go to illegal rave, police warn revellers

EVENT BREAKS ALL LOCKDOWN ADVICE ABOUT GATHERINGS

POLICE are appealing to people not to go to an illegal rave just over the county border in north Warwickshire.

One man has already been arrested in connection with the planned party on Saturday, July 25. The 39-year-old, from Coventry, has been held on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance

A police spokesman said: “Officers investigating a planned illegal rave have arrested a man in connection with organising the event and are urging the public not to attend.

“The event, which has been selling tickets on social media, is unauthorised and unlicensed and breaks current government legislation around gatherings.”

A string of illegal free parties have been held across the country despite coronavirus lockdown rules banning large gatherings.

Police in Nottinghamshire broke up a rave in Skegby on June 26, a party with more than 300 people and live DJ set was broken up by Northamptonshire officers at Brixworth Country Park on July 4, while an illegal rave in Fradley in Staffordshire on June 13 saw 1,000 people turn up.

Chief Inspector Karl Faulkner, of Warwickshire Police, said the

July 25 event was also illegal.

“While on the face of it, this event may seem legitimate and even state it is working with the police to coordinate a safe event, it is illegal and we will not tolerate nor endorse illegal raves of any kind in our county,” he said.

“They pose a serious risk, not only to those attending them, as they are often poorly organised with little regard to the health and safety of attendees, but also pose a significant risk to public health in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is against the law for gatherings of more than 30 people to take place other than in exceptional circumstances, and we will be enforcing this legislation as part of our role in minimising the risk of spreading the virus.

“We will also take robust action against anyone found to be involved in organising these events.

“Other police forces have encountered serious incidents including stabbings and sexual offences at illegal raves, which demonstrates how unsafe these events are, as they often have limited security in place and are at locations particularly difficult for emergency services to reach.

“I would therefore urge anyone who has a ticket to this or any other illegal rave, or anyone considering purchasing a ticket to please think twice about going.

“I would also urge any parents or carers considering dropping off or collecting children and young people from an illegal rave to consider the risks involved.

“Please protect yourself, your family and your communities by not supporting or attending illegal raves, and if you have information about one happening in your area, we would ask that you report this to us as soon as you can so we can take the appropriate action to protect our communities from harm.”

Councillor Les Caborn, of Warwickshire County Council, said: “Following the relaxation of some rules, we know lots of people are looking forward to seeing friends and socialising again but we would like to remind everyone that the virus hasn’t gone away, and we all still need to play our part.

“We need people to continue to work together and be vigilant in following advice to control the virus.”

I would urge anyone who has a ticket to this illegal rave to think twice about going

Ch Insp Karl Faulkner