This gathering was simply unacceptable

The ‘gathering’ /party/rave that happened in Sheepwalk Paston was unacceptable on many levels (see page 10). It was not the first time that residents had seen huge numbers of people gathering there - police had attended a similar incident the week before. Quite clearly, social distancing was not being used. Concerned residents have confirmed to us that many there were from out of the area and had travelled some distance to attend. Dominic Cummings’ eye test trip had nothing on what was happening here. Police have said that due to the number of people, many of whom were intoxicated, it was ‘deemed there were insufficient officer numbers to be able to safely move people on from the area’. In other words it was too big an event to break up safely - something that has deeply concerned many local people who have contacted the PT this week. Police have got better things to do with their stretched resources than tackle this kind of thing. They shouldn’t have to react to an event of this size in the current situation and, frankly, it seems they were unable to do so on this occasion. It was a brass-necked flouting of lockdown restrictions and endangered the health of those who attended and any residents in the area. For exactly the same reason that many people have vented their anger and frustration at a government official ostensibly flouting the rules residents in Paston have every right to be furious at the lack of action on a huge gathering outside their front doors. Police are stepping up patrols and have promised there will be no repeat - that is important, but those responsible must also answer for their actions.