Party’s over as police issue first £10,000 rave fines
First £10,000 fines issued and equipment seized after police gain new powers to tackle unlawful gatherings
‘We have had to put up with people vomiting, urinating outside people’s homes’
POLICE started issuing £10,000 fines to those hosting illegal raves yesterday as thousands of people descended on rural villages.
About 3,000 people, some travelling long distances, gathered in a mountain village in Wales yesterday, despite the newly announced crackdown by the Home Office on unlawful gatherings.
Hundreds of cars blocked lanes and country roads as crowds congregated in Banwen, South Wales.
Police were called after locals said they had been kept awake by loud music blaring since 1am. One resident told Walesonline he felt like a prisoner in his own home as young people were “obviously under the influence of drink and drugs” and were seen sleeping on benches in the village early yesterday morning. Another said anti-social behaviour had been taking place all night.
“The residents of Roman Road have been up all night, we have had to put up with people vomiting, urinating outside people’s homes,” she said. The woman said she phoned the police twice, and was told there were 16 police vehicles in attendance.
Organisers of illegal gatherings of more than 30 people can now be fined up to £10,000 after new measures were put into place on Friday. Participants in illegal raves, unlicensed music events or other unlawful gatherings of 30 people or more face a £100 fine.
Two organisers of the rave in South Wales were issued the fixed penalty notice.
Chief Supt Simon Belcher of South Wales Police said the force was “looking at all pieces of legislation” as it dealt with the huge crowds, adding: “This type of illegal gathering is totally unacceptable. We are aware of the concerns it is causing for the local community.”
Elsewhere, West Yorkshire Police fined eight people £10,000 for hosting parties during the weekend. At one, two DJS were fined £10,000 and had their equipment seized, while those in attendance were fined £100.
In addition, a 27-year-old man was charged with causing a public nuisance after officers broke up a street party in
Leeds on Saturday. Five other people at the gathering were fined £100 each.
Meanwhile, thousands of pounds worth of music equipment was seized by Essex Police ahead of a rave near a warehouse due to take place in Harlow on Saturday afternoon.
Riot police from Norfolk Constabulary clashed with ravers on Saturday evening in Thetford Forest. Armed with riot shields and wearing protective equipment, officers attempted to break up the 500 revellers in the forest, near Grime’s Graves, a Neolithic flint mining English Heritage site.
Asst Chief Constable Nick Davison said a drone unit, dogs, the National Police Air Service helicopter and specially trained public order officers had been deployed to break up the party.
“It’s extremely disappointing to see these types of events taking place when the rest of our communities are doing everything they can to help stop the
‘It is totally unacceptable and we are aware of the concerns it is causing for the local community’
spread of the virus,” he said. The event was shut down last night, and police said they had made a number of arrests and seized sound equipment.
“Officers did meet some hostility when entering the site with bottles and cans used as missiles and thrown at them. Fortunately, no one was injured,” Mr Davison said.
Adam Holloway, a Tory MP who sits on the home affairs select committee, said: “If we’ve got a situation where we’ve got thousands of young people who feel invulnerable to the disease, who are so selfish that they are not prepared to think about other people’s grandparents or other people’s relatives, they should perhaps try to think about their own.
“Fines only matter if they are actually enforced, if people know that they are actually going to have to pay them.
“I am not sure that fines are actually the answer.”