Raver cuts wrists at roadblock
By thisisoxfordshire – Tuesday 25 August 1998
Copyright: thisisoxfordshire
A dance-fan trying to get to an illegal rave party in south Oxfordshire slashed his wrists with a large carving knife when he was stopped by traffic police.
The man in his 20s, who has not been named, mutilated himself when officers, who suspected he was a drink-driver, stopped him at a roadblock at 12.30am on Sunday.
He was treated by paramedics and is now recovering in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
Minutes before, officers at the road-block, near Scutchamer Knob, near East Ginge, Wantage, had to dive out of the way when another car, also heading for the rave, failed to stop. The officers were not injured and chased the vehicle, which crashed. Its occupants fled, but were not caught.
The incidents happened during a police operation to stop rave organisers setting up a unannounced dance party at sites along the Ridgeway.
Insp Paul Kirkland, of Wantage police, said organisers first targeted a car park at White Horse Hill, but abandoned their plans when officers stopped them reachingfrom using local roads leading to the site.
The ravers repeated their efforts at Scutchamer Knob and were again prevented from setting up sound systems and starting the party by police. The rave eventually took place on the Ridgeway at Five Ways, near Cholsey, and attracted hundreds of people, before dispersing in the morning. It passed off without further trouble.
Police used a helicopter during the operation but no-one was arrested.
Insp Kirkland said the Ridgeway’s wide open spaces made it a target for illegal ravers, but said officers were drafted in from other areas on Sunday and the operation went well.
He said: “The long and short of it is we were successful in disrupting the rave. This type of illegal event has the potential to cause severe disruption to the local community.
“The message has to be clear that We will use all the power available to us to prevent this sort of thing getting established and anybody who tries to still come here will run the risk of their equipment being seized and being arrested.”
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