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Hundreds Breach Social Distancing Rules For Illegal Woodland Rave

Hundreds Breach Social Distancing Rules For Illegal Woodland Rave

Four arrests were made and 12 people were dealt with for drug offences

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

Hundreds of people breached social distancing rules to attend an illegal woodland rave in Merseyside, UK.

Footage shared on social media showed huge crowds of people drinking and dancing at the unlicensed event, which went on until the early hours of Saturday morning.

After receiving reports of the rave, officers attended and blocked off access routes, turning away around 200 additional revellers.

Once most people had left at around 5.30am, police arrested four men who were seen packing up DJ equipment. Officers also issued a number of dispersal notices.

Liverpool Echo

A police spokesman said: "We arrested four men and seized DJ equipment after attending a wooded area in Rainford overnight following reports of an illegal rave.

"Police identified the site of the gathering which occurred in private land near New Cut Lane/Coach Road, close to Rainford, the M58 and Kirkby.

"Officers were deployed to key routes into the woodland, including roads and rural land, as a large number of young people were seen on the site and attempting to gain entrance from around 8pm. Police turned away around 200 people in vehicles and on foot.

"The East Lancs Road was closed at its junctions with Catchdale Moss Lane and Coopers Lane to deter further attendees from gaining access in vehicles, and a dispersal order was introduced covering the area of woodland.

"At around 5.30am, when the majority of people had dispersed, four males were seen by officers packing up DJ equipment.

Liverpool Echo

"They were arrested on suspicion of Section 5 public order offences, causing a public nuisance and were provided with dispersal order notices. They have been taken into custody and DJ equipment, lighting and lasers seized.

"A further 15 dispersal notices were provided, 12 people dealt with for drugs offences, 10 dispersal zone notices issued, and 15 Covid-19 tickets issued."

Chief Superintendent Ngaire Waine slammed attendees who put their 'community at significant risk', adding that they also endangered themselves, with numerous people sustaining injuries.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, he said: "All those attending have put themselves and others in the community at significant risk.

"Not only have they risked catching and spreading the coronavirus, but due to the numbers of people consuming of drugs and alcohol in dark woods, somebody could have quite easily got seriously hurt or worse. Indeed it was reported one male sustained a broken leg, one female a broken ankle and another female suffered burns to her legs.

Liverpool Echo

"Government guidance still states that we must continue social distancing, that we must only meet in groups of six at most, and act sensibly. Clearly, those attending this rave took no heed whatsoever of that.

"They also left behind a huge amount of rubbish which will now have to be removed. It is clear that the organisers and those attending care very little for public health, the community surrounding them or indeed their own safety.

"It is particularly disappointing that some of those attending purported to be protesting against the lockdown in order to make a vain attempt to legitimise their attendance at the rave."

Featured Image Credit: Twitter

Topics: Police, UK News, crime