Party Vibe

Definitely looks like the end of Norfolk’s “tolerance” of parties..

incidentally HMRC have a lower “burden of proof” for their investigations. The Police have only been around (in their present form) since 1823 or so.

HMRC were set up in 1066..

Minister backs police over rave riot

07 September 2007 05:52

Home secretary Jacqui Smith last night called for a “robust response” to mass public disorder like the Yarmouth riots – on the same day that ravers responsible for the violence were let off with fines by magistrates.

Ms Smith praised the “measured” reaction of Norfolk police to the rave-related trouble in Yarmouth last month. Speaking at a Westminster engagement, she rejected Tory leader David Cameron’s claims that there was “anarchy in the UK” but said “we need to have a very robust response” to such incidents.

She also endorsed the response of Norfolk police authority chairman Stephen Bett who had earlier insisted “we are not tolerating this sort of behaviour at all, and we are going to meet it aggressively”.

Meanwhile force insiders remain confident that further arrests will be made as they hunt the event’s ringleaders.

Yesterday, five ravers who were part of the 100-strong mob which threw bottles, swore at police and made obscene gestures pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour at Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court.

But the group escaped with fines totalling less than £900, despite magistrate Angie Scott telling the court: “The town needs to be protected against this kind of behaviour – in fact the whole county needs to be protected.”

Mr Bett said he could not comment on the sentences handed out but pledged that the police would be exploring all possible avenues to bring those responsible to account.

He added that details of those convicted and others suspected of involvement in raves would be passed to Inland Revenue to investigate their income from such illegal parties.

“I am pleased that the Home Office is taking notice of how Norfolk deals with crime and perhaps if it did so more often policing in this country would be much more effective,” Mr Bett said.

“We will continue to do everything possible to stop this nonsense once and for all and are exploring all possible ways in which this can be done.

“One option is to collaborate more closely with the fire service and the health and safety executive because often, on occasions when police powers aren’t sufficient to close down raves, they have other powers which can be used.

“But also we are looking at ways in which we can target those who run these raves such as passing their details to Inland Revenue and Customs and Exercise. This will be in addition to pursuing them through the courts and should hit them in the pockets.

“Everybody who comes into this county to organise these events will be photographed and will have their details circulated so that every course of action open to us can be taken.”

At the time of the riots Mr Bett said the police operation had been handled brilliantly, and he congratulated the officers for disproving the rave organisers’ belief that “mob intimidation was going to win the day”.

Ms Smith also said that the government was continuing to keep an eye on the laws and procedures covering raves “to see if there is something more we need to do”.