UK: Ravers blamed for party damage – January 2002 Ravers blamed for party damage
By thisisoxfordshire - Monday 07 January 2002
Copyright: thisisoxfordshire
Partygoers who held a rave on an industrial estate are alleged to have caused hundreds of pounds' damage.
Up to 500 carloads of people arrived on the Crendon industrial estate, in Long Crendon, near Thame, on New Year's Eve for an impromptu party in two warehouses.
Despite complaints from nearby businesses, police say they were powerless to act because the event was taking place on commercial premises and there was no evidence of any crime.
Philip Goodall, chairman of Toyzone, one of the firms on the estate, said the revellers took pallets from outside his premises, two doors away, to light fires during the party.
He said loud music was played until 4am on New Year's Day and a trail of damage, broken glass and empty bottles left behind.
Mr Goodall said he contacted police when he saw the cars arriving, but was told they could do nothing.
Thames Valley Police spokesman Lucy Ferguson said: "We understand this must be extremely frustrating for all concerned but police powers are very limited in situations such as this.
"This was a commercial property and it is up to the owners to obtain a court order to remove people.
"There was no evidence of possession or supply of drugs and although we received several complaints, they were largely concerned with noise levels which is an environmental health matter.
"Investigations are continuing into allegations of criminal damage."
She added: "The laws regarding domestic property are different and we have extensive powers to remove trespassers immediately."
http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/
UK: ‘Rave event will not be repeated’ – January 2002 'Rave event will not be repeated'
By thisisoxfordshire - Wednesday 09 January 2002
Copyright: thisisoxfordshire
The owners of an industrial estate invaded by partygoers staging a New Year's Eve rave have vowed such an event will never happen again.
Stephen Webster, director of Marlborough Gleeson, which owns the Crendon Industrial Park at Long Crendon, near Thame, has pledged to step up security.
He said he did not accept police claims they were powerless to stop events taking place on commercial premises when there is no evidence of any crime.
Up to 500 car loads of people arrived on the estate for an impromptu party in two warehouses, which are in the process of being re-let.
Mr Webster said: "I don't accept the word "rave" -- what happened was breaking and entering and causing criminal damage.
"The police can do something and we are co-operating with them.
"They know who the organisers are and have got to make a stand and have a serious presence in this area.
"This has never happened on this estate before and it is something we take very seriously."
Thames Valley Police spokesman Paul Anthem said at the time the problem had been that officers had not been able to contact the owners of the units to find out whether permission had been given for the rave. Complaints had come from neighbours.
Also, on the night, there was no evidence of breaking and entering or criminal damage.
He added: "If the owner is making allegations a criminal act has been committed, that is something we will look into and we will take on board all the evidence."
Mr Webster said Marlborough Gleeson would be investing in making the units more secure, including appointing security guards.
http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/
UK: Police fail to stop rave – January 2002 Police fail to stop rave
BBC News - Thursday, 3 January, 2002
Copyright: BBC News
A Lincolnshire farmer has accused police of failing to stop illegal ravers from taking over his sheds on New Year's Eve. David Benton, of Moorby, said about 70 revellers smashed down his farm gate, drove a lorry-load of disco equipment onto this property and set fire to pallets.
He called Lincolnshire Police, who sent two officers, but said ravers could not be evicted because there were fewer than 100 trouble-makers involved. Mr Benton, 44, said: "I will defend my property, and I will use violence if I have to if this happens again. The police have already said they will arrest me if I do."
'Totally irresponsible'
"Anybody must be able to defend their own property." It was like being a farmer in Zimbabwe - the police stood outside the gate while inside people were smashing up my property and they were doing nothing about it." Lincolnshire Police said officers could only intervene to break up rave parties if certain criteria were met.
Inspector John Ginty stressed: "The law states that there must be more than 100 people in the open air, causing a public disruption - those conditions were not met in this case. "These people are totally irres-ponsible and totally reckless and have no regard for other people's property, but this was a practical, proportionate response to what was taking place."
Fire worry
Chief Superintendent Kevin Morris, of the Police Superintendents' Association, said: "You have to use your common sense and ask what could a group of officers realistically do?" "You'd need 200 officers to deal with 100 revellers if they didn't want to leave." Mr Benton said he was very concerned about the danger of nitrogen fertiliser stored on the farm catching fire. His wife Sarah said: "I don't agree with vigilantism and I don't agree with what Tony Martin did at all."
"But you can understand someone getting to that state," she said. A police spokesman warned: "While we have every sympathy with Mr Benton he will obviously be on a very sticky wicket if he does take any direct action in the future."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
UK: 1,500 in rave at empty building – September 2001 1,500 in rave at empty building
By thisislocallondon - Tuesday 04 September 2001
Copyright: thisislocallondon
Up to 1,500 ravers partied at a vacant industrial unit in Essex.
The ravers set up their equipment in the former premises of wood merchant Gibbs Palmerin, Freebournes Road, Witham, where they danced from 11pm on Saturday to 8am on Sunday.
About 20 police officers attended the scene but, like at previous raves in the area, were powerless to pull the plug on the party because trespass is not a criminal offence.
Instead, they kept a watchful eye over the 500-strong crowd, which is believed to swelled to around 1,500 at its peak.
The ravers had met up in Stanway and at McDonald's at Braintree before heading to Witham and there were about 40 cars parked in nearby Crittall Road.
Sgt Andrew Simpson, who was at the scene, said: "The building could havee held up to two or three thousand but I reckon at the most there were 1,500.
"When I came in yesterday at 8am, there was still people leaving and when I went back at 10am there were only a handful of people cleaning up.
"There's not much legislation. Obviously, environmental health have powers in relation to noise and equipment if the noise is causing a problem. We would normally support them but on this occasion it was some distance away from the nearest housing so it didn't affect too many people."
There were some complaints about noise but nobody was arrested in connection with the rave.
The rave was latest in a string of similar events at farms and disused buildings across mid Essex including at Little Dunmow, Little Easton, Bradwell near Braintree, Stebbing and Stisted.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: Dancing with death – July 2001 Dancing with death
By thisislocallondon - Thursday 05 July 2001
Copyright: thisislocallondon
UP to 200 ravers escaped from a burning building in Sutherland Road, Walthamstow, after an illegal party got out of hand.
Nearby residents and factory workers claimed that this was not the first time the rave had taken place. They confirmed that it was an annual event, often involving drink and drugs.
On Sunday, firefighters battled through clouds of thick, black smoke as flames ripped through a derelict warehouse after a Ford Fiesta, abandoned inside the building, was set alight.
The fire was in an unoccupied warehouse previously owned by AW Alloys Ltd.
A fire officer said that the crew received a number of calls at about 5.38pm alerting them to the blaze. Some calls were from party-goers.
Gary McCann, 18, from Sutherland Road, said that the ravers appeared to be new-age travellers.
He said: "I first heard the music on Friday night. But I know the rave takes place at the old warehouse once a year, and usually over the period of a weekend.
"Last year my mum was walking past the building and they started throwing bottles at her. The people are trouble and there are always drugs going round. You can see these people walking around the streets and it is so obvious they have taken ecstasy or LSD."
Dan Dodoo, 17, also from Sutherland Road, said that he attended the rave: "I was walking past and they invited me in, so I went.
"They all looked like punks to me, and the music was loud. I saw a lot of drink and drugs going around. These were not the people you usually see in large numbers in Walthamstow."
A man who does not want to be named said: "I work next door to the warehouse. On Monday morning we saw that the gate had been broken, and there was glass from where the windows had been smashed.
"There was household rubbish everywhere, drinks bottles, and food wrappers, and one of the workers claims they saw solvents scattered about, but I can't confirm that."
He said that the rave was no surprise, and that he would rather it took place in the old warehouse than his workplace, which at times had happened.
"Sometimes they break into our factories and have a bit of a party. This time round the ravers were cleaner," he said.
A fire officer said that firefighters had difficulty gaining entry to the site because the premises were boarded and bricked up for security reasons.
He said that firecrews dealt with the fire using a hose-reel jet and wore breathing apparatus.
"Everyone escaped and no one was injured," he added.
Police attended the scene but no investigation is taking place.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: All-night rave broken up by police – July 2001 All-night rave broken up by police
By thisislocallondon - Tuesday 24 July 2001
Copyright: thisislocallondon
About 30 police officers were called to the fourth in a series of an all-night raves across north Essex.
About 100 cars gathered at Broomhills Industrial Estate in Braintree on Saturday night and drove in convoy to Brickhouse Farm in Little Dunmow.
Officers arrived at the meet to find two barns occupied with music equipment with more than 200 partygoers inside.
Police blocked the lane leading to the farm to prevent more people from accessing the rave and around 30 police officers were called in to try to disperse the mass.
This was the fourth time police officers from Essex have been called to a rave of this kind where party organisers have gained access to farm buildings.
Although civil trespass had taken place, police were powerless to stop the party goers as no violence or criminal activity in gaining access to the barn had taken place.
It took until 9.30am Sunday morning to disperse the revellers.
Farm owner David Metson said: "The government need to do something pretty quickly to sort out the loop whole in the law. I told them that we didn't want them there and asked them to leave but they ignored me."
Police carried out searches and five people were arrested on suspicion of possession of cannabis. Three men and one women were later cautioned at Braintree police station and one man was released on bail pending further investigation.
A police spokeperson said: "People who see nothing wrong in occuping the premises of others might, in the cold light of day, like to consider how they would feel if they were on the receiving end.
"They should also think of the diversion of police resources they cause and how this could work against them or their family if they needed help urgently."
Last weekend a similar party took place in a grain store in Little Easter and the weekend before police were called to a farm in Stebbing where about 350 people danced the night away until noon the next day.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: Ravers flock to farmer’s barn – July 2001 Ravers flock to farmer's barn
By thisisessex - Monday 06 August 2001
Copyright: thisisessex
Another rave has rocked Essex after more than 450 revellers met up in their cars at a secluded rendezvous off the A120 between Coggeshall and Bradwell at 10.30pm on Saturday night.
It was the fifth rave in as many weeks. Organisers used mobile phones to direct ravers across Essex.
A cavalcade of more than 100 cars zig-zagged across Braintree and Cressing before heading out towards Dunmow.
The rave eventually took place in an unsecured and empty grain barn in Hatfield Broadoak at 1.30am on Sunday.
Police informed the owner of Sparrows Hall Farm the party was taking place in his barn but they were powerless to stop it.
A police spokeswoman said: "It was on private property and therefore it's a civil matter.
"To take action there has to be an offence or we have to get an injunction out on the authority of the farmer, which can be too late."
Rave organisers were careful to claim squatters rights, taking their own power source and even had qualified first aiders on hand in case of medical problems.
The police spokeswoman added: "We are not talking about a bunch of thugs wrecking property.
"We do not condone their actions but they take care not to commit offences and to leave the property clean and tidy.
"The difficulty is trying to keep ahead of them so we can organise with the owners of barns to take security measures."
This rave follows on from similar parties in Little Dunmow, Little Easton Lodge and Stebbing.
Ravers were aged in their early 20s and many had crossed the country to attend. Up to 40 were still partying hard up to 10.30am on Sunday and the site was only reported clear at 11.10am.
http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/
UK: Rave ‘disaster waiting to happen’ – July 2001 Rave 'disaster waiting to happen'
By thisisessex - Monday 09 July 2001
Copyright: thisisessex
An illegal rave attracted up to 400 partygoers to deserted and derelict warehouses to dance.
It was broken up by police without arrests, scuffles or injuries.
But police say there was "a disaster waiting to happen" at the party as there were no fire exits and giant holes in the floors of the empty industrial buildings.
The rave was held late Saturday night and the early hours of yesterday morning at the former Mansell Bonded Fabrics building and the fisheries building at Hythe Quay, Colchester.
A member of the public told police of the party at just before midnight, and the Essex force support unit was alerted to provide back-up if there was trouble.
Sgt Rennie Chivers, of Colchester police, said the caller also reported smoke coming from the building, but after further investigations officers concluded the fumes had probably come from a dry-ice machine owned by organisers.
He added: "A doorman was spoken to and said there were 400 people in the building. The event was in an empty factory. It is believed ravers entered as trespassers by breaking windows on the ground floor.
"The premises were actually cleared at about 2am. The organisers left and said they were going to find an alternative venue and were taking their equipment with them.
"It does put a strain on our resources and will affect the general policing in the rest of Colchester."
Sgt Chivers said: "Potentially, there was a disaster waiting to happen. It was important the thing came to a close as soon as possible and as peacefully as possible - and it would appear that is exactly what happened."
Saturday's rave is the second such event in the Colchester area in the last fortnight. Police were inundated with calls about a party in Hall Road, Copford, on June 24.
One of the organising team behind both parties, who did not wish to be named, spoke to the Evening Gazette yesterday. He said: "The police rushed the place. They came in, told everyone to leave, and searched the building."
The organiser said police claims that the buildings were death-traps were unfounded, and measures were put in place to make sure no partygoers went near the holes in the floor.
http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/
UK: Ravers ‘may have dehydrated’ – June 2001 Ravers 'may have dehydrated'
By thisislondon - 29 June 2001
Copyright: thisislondon
Two teenagers who died after an all-night rave in Southwark and were first thought to have been poisoned by rogue ecstasy tablets, may have been killed by extreme heat and dehydration, it emerged today.
Murder squad detectives are investigating the deaths. However, police said this afternoon that tests showed the batch of ecstasy did not appear to be contaminated.
Steven Brett from Surrey and Bret Gilkes from Birmingham, both 19, died after attending the Drome nightclub last Saturday. Another teenager who went to the club is critically ill in hospital.
A police source said: We are investigating a number of possibilities. We know it was extremely hot in the club and there was extreme overcrowding. We are not sure the right procedures were followed in these circumstances.
Police issued an urgent health warning to hundreds of revellers who attended the 13-hour rave, amid fears that many more could have fallen seriously ill.
The organisers of a similar rave planned for this week have cancelled the event.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/
UK: Rave organiser is fined – June 2001 Rave organiser is fined
by This is Brigthon and Hove
Copyright: This is Brigthon and Hove
The organiser of an illegal all-night rave claimed he believed police gave him permission to stage the event, a court heard.
Craig Shepherd, 24, of Shanklin Road, Brighton, admitted organising the unlicensed entertainment and was fined £500 by Brighton Magistrates Court. Shepherd, an unemployed teacher of English to foreign students, was also ordered to pay £70 costs.
The court heard about 1,000 people gathered for the free dance party in a field in Woodingdean, near Brighton, on the night of May 13. It lasted from 1am until 10.30am. Police attended the site, on open farmland near Bexhill Road and Falmer Road, in the early hours and Shepherd was arrested at about 8am.
Theresa Blades, defending, claimed Shepherd believed he had been given police permission to hold the rave. She said he originally planned to hold the event at Shoreham Beach and about eight people attended when the police turned up at 10.30pm. When the officers indicated they were not happy, Shepherd said he would rather be in the countryside but he was concerned about foot-and-mouth disease.
Ms Blades said: "The police made it clear they did not want him to be on the seafront and indicated if he went out in the countryside he would not have a problem. "If he had been told he should not have a party that night he would not have. He felt he had been unofficially told he could move into the countryside.
"He went to an area he felt would not disturb residents and there were no complaints of noise. "This was a free outdoor party. It is very much part of the ethos and spirit that it was free. He feels strongly that people in Brighton have to pay a lot of money to go out to clubs owned by big businesses."
There were donations of £150 which covered the cost of hiring sound equipment. Ms Blades said he took his responsibilities as an organiser seriously and had ensured there was someone attending with first aid and fire safety knowledge. She said all rubbish was cleared away.
The court heard Shepherd should have applied to Brighton and Hove City Council for a public entertainment licence, which would have specified health and safety regulations.
http://www.thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk/
UK: Will the party last all summer? – May 2001 Will the party last all summer?
by R Dore
Copyright: R Dore
Last weekend's rave in countryside north of Woodingdean, Brighton, was condemned as irresponsible, by police, farmers and politicians.
Those who attended the event claimed it was harmless fun for people who just wanted to party.
Rave organisers will run similar events in Sussex over the coming weeks, playing a cat and mouse game with the police, who are determined to clamp down on disorder.
But unless police receive prior warning of an event it is often impossible for them to stop it happening or break it up.
The raves are never advertised but their whereabouts and timing are spread by word of mouth only hours before the event begins.
News of the location is spread through the local night clubs, among travellers and the student population, and within an hour thousands can be heading for a particular venue.
Last Saturday it was Woodingdean.
This weekend it could be in an empty warehouse near you, blasting deafening music through giant loudspeakers and wrecking the sleep of thousands.
The Woodingdean rave lasted ten hours between 1am and 11am on Newmarket Hill - land which is owned by Brighton and Hove City Council and farmed by Rottingdean farmers John and Martin Carr.
Newmarket Hill leads to the Castle Hill nature reserve, which is a Special Site of Scientific Interest due to the rare plants and insects found in the area.
The events are not always harmless and peaceful. Last weekend two police cars were damaged at a cost of £15,000.
Police had little warning of the event and were only able to monitor the several hundreds drinking alcohol and dancing.
And despite organisers going round the site with large plastic bags to collect rubbish the Carrs claim damage costing more than £500 was caused to the land.
Farmer John Carr estimates the event was attended by more than 1,000 people who arrived in 200 cars.
It is the fourth time in four years Newmarket Hill has been used for a rave.
During past years police have successfully stopped regular raves taking place in Littlehampton, Climping and Patcham.
But this time the ravers timed their arrival at the site between 9pm and 10pm, knowing police were changing shifts and unable to get sufficient manpower to the site to block their entrance.
In fact police only heard of the rave at 4am when they were phoned by motorists and residents in Woodingdean.
Inspector Paul Smith, head of the East Sector of Brighton Police, said: "To stop raves like this taking place we have to be in place early and get enough manpower to the area to block off the site.
"When we got here, there were so many people here that we just had to stand by and monitor.
"It was while the officers were walking round the site the police cars were damaged.
"The area was cleared by midday on Sunday. There was no trouble as people left. So in that sense our policing policy of the event was a success.
"It is vital we get early warning from the public if they see people possibly gathering for a rave. If we had had earlier warning about what was happening at Woodingdean, we could have got enough manpower to seal off the area and persuade people to go away."
Once a party has started, the police do have powers through the Criminal Justice Act, including confiscation of equipment and powers to arrest people openly dealing in drugs.
Local authorities and private individuals are almost powerless to stop a rave once it has started.
Action through the courts would take too long and they would only be able to take civil action beforehand if there was concrete details of the location and time.
Only if a rave went on for a few days would it be possible for solicitors to take action through the civil courts.
However those participating in the raves don't believe they are doing anything wrong.
One of the ravers told The Argus: "We went out on the Downs, had a fantastic time, watched the sun come up and then wandered home in the late morning warmth.
It is quite amusing to find one's evening a subject of intrigue for the whole of the media and of course it's real pity it became public interest because of damaged police cars.
"I wish they hadn't been damaged, and so did almost all other party-goers.
"I didn't go to a rave on Saturday night, I went to a free party".
UK: Trouble only starts when police arrive – May 2001 Trouble only starts when police arrive
by This is Brigthon and Hove
Copyright: This is Brigthon and Hove
Rowan Dore's article (Argus, May 14) was an attempt to rally readers against raves.
Careful thought goes into choosing a site for a rave as far from local residents as possible. However, options are limited by other considerations. For example, recently, I attended a free party in countryside far from residential homes. Unfortunately, the land was owned by the Ministry of Defence, which sent dozens of police in full riot gear to force us away.
In Britain today, it is illegal for people to gather in the countryside to have a party or a festival. The police are used to defend wealthy landowners against the landless poor.
Mr Dore mentions the proximity of the Woodingdean rave to a Site of Special Scientific Interest, implying damage was done to it or the ravers would have damaged it. This is not the case. Furthermore, it is customary for ravers to collect their litter when the party is over.
Inspector Paul Smith said: "There was no trouble as people left, so, in that sense, our policing policy of the event was a success."
However, there would have been no trouble at all had the police not been in attendance. It is regrettable two police cars were damaged.
Unfortunately, a large section of society has come to fear and distrust the police after years of being criminalised by unjust laws relating to assemblies, protests, soft drugs and so on. Rather than being used to block a country lane, the police cars could have been better employed elsewhere.
http://www.thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk/
UK: Tekno Trouble – May 2001 Tekno Trouble
courtesy of SchNEWS - May 2001
Copyright: SchNEWS
Last weekend, the hottest of the year, saw the party posse out in full effect with the Hardcore Conspiracy Teknival. Late last summer there was a massive Teknival involving 6000 people in Kingston, Surrey, leaving the cops none too chuffed, so they didn't want to get caught with their pants down again.
Panik, United Systems, Underground Sound, Skirmish, Random Sound, Headfuk, Negusa Negast and other assorted rigs were out entertaining the kids all over the South East. Unfortunately our old sparring partners, the cops, were also out, trying as ever, to spoil the fun. The wacky races started on the Friday night near the Hampshire/Surrey border with an attempted party on old M.O.D. land. This was evicted under the Criminal Justice Act on Saturday morning but the sound system was allowed to leave and the free party people moved onto Guildford, where they tried to set up but again the forces of darkness put a stop to it. The next place people went to was a few miles up the road, near Cobham where about 500 danced until about midnight. This time about 150 tooled up riot cops complete with helicopters and dog units gate-crashed, with one woman beaten unconscious and needing hospital treatment. On the way out all of the systems were confiscated and so people headed towards the coast. But as ever the sound crews are still up for it telling SchNEWS "The struggle continues. They will never kill the music. Expect us back soon."
Meanwhile down in sunny Brighton two big parties were also taking place put on by local sound systems. One was on a legal traveller site and because of the numbers living there already, ie. the travellers, the cops left it alone and the party continued for two nights. The other was at Woodingdean, where up to 1000 people were enjoying a pleasant night on the South Downs. The cops, who didn't even hear about the party till about 4am left two cars on the track leading up to the site. However, they hadn't been paying attention to their own adverts telling people to lock up their valuables and left their car doors unlocked. Unfortunately one of the hand brakes mysteriously released itself and the car slid down into a ditch, while theother flipped itself over and ended up on its roof in the same ditch. The cops weren't best pleased with this and came on to site at about 10am when most people had left and nicked the sound system, the owner, his van and his records.
http://www.schnews.org.uk/
World: French ravers clash with police – May 2001 French Ravers Clash with Police
BBC News - Friday, 25 May, 2001
Copyright: BBC News
A policeman is in a coma in southern France following clashes with protesters demanding the right to hold raves. Six police officers and at least two demonstrators were injured during the clashes in the city of Toulouse on Thursday night. Violence broke out after police tried to break up a crowd of several hundred ravers to make arrests. The ravers were protesting against planned changes to the law which would put raves under threat.
Right to party
Police fired tear gas to break up the crowd in the town's central square, but clashes continued in side streets. Reinforce-ments were brought in and the situation returned to normal by the end of the night. Ravers across France staged protests on Thursday, which mostly remained peaceful. They created a carnival atmosphere as jugglers, fire-eaters and dance groups took to the streets.
Protesters say that a bill, passed by the French lower house of parliament, would allow the seizure of sound equipment from raves. It would also make it possible to fine organisers who did not register their raves in advance.
Lifestyle
Ravers say the proposal is an attack on freedom of expression. "We refuse all arbitrary censorship of our art and all refusals of our choice of lifestyle," read one slogan. One protest organiser in Lille said there was a musical and cultural current behind raves. "When you go 300km (180 miles) to have a party, it's not just to get high," the protester said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
UK: Ravers wreck police cars – May 2001 Ravers wreck police cars
BBC News - Sunday, 13 May, 2001
Copyright: BBC News
Two police patrol cars were wrecked early on Sunday when people attending an illegal rave on the South Downs, rolled the vehicles down a hill. Sussex Police said the cars were later recovered from the dance event at Woodingdean, near Brighton, but were so badly damaged they would have to be written off. About 1,000 people set up camp on the South Downs on land known as Race Hill. But police say revellers have now started to leave the site after officers met with the rave organiser, who now faces arrest. This follows the claim by a farmer whose land was occupied, that £400 damage has been caused to his crops.
It is also thought that the area chosen for the rave is part of a local nature reserve, which is now being inspected by reserve workers for damage. A Sussex police spokesman said: "People have now started clearing the site. The organiser faces investigation by police in connection with damage caused to vehicles and the farmer's property." It is believed those attending the event were the same group who were moved on from land in Hampshire and Surrey on Saturday.
The attack on the patrol cars happened at around 0400 BST following a visit by police. Officers had been deciding whether to move in and break up the rave by force or to let it run its course in the hope the revellers would move off peacefully.
Ravers are 'enterprising people'
Police moved on 250 revellers who had gathered for an illegal rave at Bramshott in Hampshire on Saturday. Surrey Police also moved action to stop around 400 setting up camp at Painshill in Cobham. A Sussex Police spokesman said: "We had a problem with gatherings all evening and it looks as though many finally went to this site.
"These are very enterprising people. They all have mobile phones and can change venue at a moments notice. "When officers went along following a call at 4am a group wrecked two patrol cars by rolling them down a hill. The cars are complete write-offs. "Attacking a police car is like attacking a fire engine or an ambulance. It could make all the difference in an emergency and this will cost the taxpayer a lot of money."
He added that it was thought the rave had been intended to continue all day and night.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
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