UK: Police move to halt rave – May 2000 Police move to halt rave
By thisisessex - Monday 22 May 2000
Copyright: thisisessex
Police were called to Rivenhall Airfield after receiving complaints from residents about a giant rave.
The bumper event - staged in a disused plane hangar - was attended by 500 party-goers and lasted until after 9am yesterday.
At this point police, who had been keeping tabs on events throughout the night, closed the rave following complaints from people living nearby.
It is the second time this year the airfield has been targeted as a dance venue. In March, a small-scale version of this weekend's party was also held in the village.
Jo Smith, who owns nearby Allshots Farm, went to the hangar in the early hours to speak some of the ravers.
He said: "Last time you wouldn't have even known they were here because they cleaned up after themselves. This time they didn't do such a good job - probably because there were more people - and it's obvious there's been a rave.
"We're not impressed because it looks pretty terrible. Some of the rubbish has been bagged up, but there's still empty tins of beer everywhere.
"It's a difficult situation for us because there's so little we can do."
Mr Smith added that revellers in up to 200 cars and vans converged on Rivenhall for the event, parking at the side of a lane running from his farm to the hangar.
A spokesman for Braintree police confirmed that between 300 and 500 people from across the country were at the rave.
He added: "We received various complaints in the early hours about noise from the rave, as did Braintree Council's environmental health department.
"There were no problems in terms of anyone committing public order offences so we decided to monitor the situation, rather than close the rave."
http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/
UK: Rave sparks fury – May 2000 Rave sparks fury
By thisislocallondon - Wednesday 03 May 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
On Sunday morning, 12 hours after the rave began at the old post office in Ashdown Road, leased by the Kingston University's fine arts department, the party broke up leaving the building covered in graffiti and many of the students' works of art destroyed or stolen.
Residents and the building's owners are furious that police, called to the scene shortly after 10pm, decided not to break up the party for fear of sparking a serious disturbance.
Instead they blocked-off the one-way road and stopped buses and cars to allow eight vans with sound equipment through and then worked in shifts for 12 hours to prevent public disorder.
Environmental health officers served notices on the organisers but were unable to stop the party.
John Douglas, 33, of Ashdown Road, said: "It was a major disturbance. Police blocked off the road and stopped cars and buses. It was a money making venture - tickets were being sold."
Ronald Dear, director of Cliveden Estates (London) which owns the premises, said: "It's a disgrace. There is internal graffiti spread all over.
"My first question is why police did not stop the burglary. People broke into the building occupied by tenants. Why were they not ejected and arrested?"
Professor Bruce Russell head of the School of Fine Arts, stressed that the organisers had nothing to do with the university, and said: "The university is completely devastated and disgusted by this outright act of destruction."
Police told the Guardian they are pessimistic about finding the organisers of the rave, despite the fact that they were served with environmental notices by a noise patrol, and said that they unlikely to be able to take further action.
Chris Newport, assistant borough environmental health and safety officer, said: "For safety, officers do not confront the people making the noise.
"As far as I am aware our officers served notices on people who organised the party. Whether action will be taken I do not know. They could be prosecuted."
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
World: Ravers Fight Party Ban in Paradise – February 2000 Ravers Fight Party Ban in Paradise
by The Guardian - Monday February 7, 2000
Copyright: The Guardian
For 25 years Goa has been the party and rave capital of India; the place to go if you want to hang out and dance until dawn. But for the thousands of British partygoers who flock to the beautiful coastal state their hedonistic nights may finally be coming to an end after a court ruling banning outdoor music over 45 decibels.
The decision has delighted environmental groups, who have long campaigned to stop the raves, which they claim are destroying the fragile eco-systems of Goa's beaches and rainforests. But Paul Schwartz, a UK dance promoter involved with the Goa Trance scene for 10 years, told the Big Issue that the ruling was a "disaster" for ravers. "The criminal justice act put a stop to the outdoor scene in the UK, and so everyone went to Goa. Now Goa is gone where can we go?"
Matters came to a head in December when a group of environmental protesters, calling themselves the Goa Environment Federation, took the organisers of a huge rave planned for Christmas and new year to the high court in Bombay. The 11-day party, billed as the biggest rave of the millennium, was stopped after the court heard evidence that the organisers had violated coastal regulation zone laws by erecting buildings on the beachside plot.
The environmentalists moved swiftly to consolidate their victory, filing a detailed petition describing loud music put on for tourists as a "public menace". They also complained about noise pollution caused by music blaring from loudspeakers on churches and temples. Last month the high court passed the order banning loud music between 10pm and 7am. According to Claude Alvares, from the environmental group the Goa Foundation, the ruling has crippled the rave party scene. One party organiser who tried to hold a rave last week was issued with a contempt notice as well as being charged with violation of noise pollution laws.
Sue Wheat, of Tourism Concern, a pressure group based in London which espouses responsible and sustainable tourism, said the ruling was a victory for local people. "It highlights the fact that people do actually live in these areas and their everyday lives are not always helped by round the clock partying throughout the year. This is another example of communities standing up and saying this is not how we want tourism to be run where we live."
But not everybody is so convinced the move will benefit local people. David Abram, author of the Rough Guide to Goa, who has been a regular visitor to the coastal state for the past decade, said that rather than the big party organisers it would be the locals running small bars on the beaches and the stallholders who sell food and snacks to the ravers who would bear the brunt of the court order. According to reports, those who depend on the party scene for their living have formed a Goa Music Lovers Association to fight the court order and have been meeting local people to raise awareness of the ramifications of the music ban.
The association is expected to file an intervention application in the high court in Bombay today. Mr Abram said the extent of the rave scene in Goa has been consistently overhyped. "In people's minds Goa has become synonymous with parties and hedonism, but it is far removed from that nowadays. It is much more middle aged, much more laid back."
According to Mr Abram the main threat to the raves is not the courts in Bombay, but the local police. "The police have been demanding enormous bribes to let these parties go ahead, and the people organising them simply cannot get the money. "Things have been made illegal in Goa before, but it's always the case that if you are willing to pay enough you can get round it. It will be no different this time."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
UK: New Year ‘free-for-all’ – December 1999 New Year drugs 'free-for-all'
by T. Thompson Sunday December 26, 1999
Copyright: T. Thompson
People will not be punished for smoking cannabis and taking drugs during millennium celebrations as part of unprecedented police plans to adopt a 'maximum tolerance' policy for the biggest celebration the world has ever seen. As millions of people prepare to take to the streets for parties next weekend, police forces across the country are expected to turn a blind eye to drug use, enabling thousands of revellers to take drugs with virtually no risk of being prosecuted. Although the official police line is that they will respond to any crime as firmly as at any other time of the year, officers on the beat privately admit that, with up to five million people taking to the streets, they will struggle to cope with the higher than normal levels of drunkenness, let alone drug-taking.
'If you tried to arrest every person smoking a spliff at the Notting Hill Carnival, you'd have a riot on your hands,' said one Metropolitan Police officer who will be working during the celebrations. 'We'd also fill every police station in the country in a few hours. During the millennium we might warn people to be a bit more discreet, but that's as far as it goes. It will go on as long as the celebrations go on - probably at least two days.' However, while anyone using small amounts of drugs on a personal basis is likely to be ignored, police are expected to crack down on dealing. Fears have begun to surface that recent seizures have forced some dealers to adulterate current supplies of drugs to stretch them over the celebrations.
Some of the additives are impure and can cause sickness or even death. Three drug-related deaths have been recorded during the last week and police fear more could follow next weekend. The biggest crowds are expected to turn out in London and Edinburgh. Emergency services have been placed on red alert with a series of drastic measures to ensure public safety and to counter the effects of the millennium bug, which could strike computers that have not been programmed to recognise dates after 1999.
All police leave has been cancelled nationwide. Troops in London and elsewhere are on standby, with some ready to move at 10 minutes' notice. Extra hospital, fire and ambulance staff are on duty. A flotilla of emergency boats will patrol the Thames. Mobile phone networks face emergency cut-offs for all except key services as people swamp the networks with calls to friends and family. Key government Ministers are to meet at the Ministry of Defence at 7pm on Millennium Eve and again at 9am the following morning.
They insist Britain is better prepared than any other country to cope with crowds and computer crashes, but still admit things could go wrong. Emergency services have been warned to expect problems as varied as a rush of millennium babies, mass suicides by religious cults expecting the end of the world, and a terrorist attack on the Millennium Dome.
UK: Fear over girl’s party death – December 1999 Fear over girl's party death
by P. Kelso Tuesday December 28, 1999
Copyright: P. Kelso
A 15-year-old girl who died at a schoolfriend's Christmas Day party was believed to be the youngest drugs victim in Scotland this year. The body of Kerry-Ann Kirk of Coatbridge, Strathclyde, lay undiscovered at the friend's house for more than 12 hours. The friend's parents said last night they had carefully monitored the party. Kerry-Ann's mother, Marie Kirk, said yesterday: "I could not believe it when I was told she was dead. It has not sunk in yet. Kerry-Ann was mature. She got on great with the kids and she was a great help to me. "Kerry had nothing to do with drugs - she hated them. If there were drugs involved I would take it that someone put them in her drink or something like that. I do not think she would have taken drugs."
Kerry-Ann arrived at the house of Sean Stack at about 7pm on Christmas Day. Sean's father, Kevin Stack, who was supervising the party, said he thought Kerry-Ann had left when the party broke up around midnight. "It was about 1pm the next day that we found her in the bedroom. Someone had thrown a cover over her and she must have been there all night." Mr Stack said he had seen no evidence of drugs at the party. "We were keeping an eye on things and didn't see any drugs or anything like that." His wife, Sandra, said: "Our hearts go out to the family. More than that we do not know what to say, but I am really sorry about what has happened."
A post mortem will determine the cause of death. Mrs Kirk, 39, said her family was distraught. Her older children, Gary, 17, and Cheryl, 12, were shocked by the tragedy but Jamie, three, and Marie-Louise, three months, were too young to understand. "Kerry-Ann was not a drinker. She was very popular and she had so many friends. People liked her because she was genuine. She was so pretty and always good company. I do not know what I will do without her," she said. Mrs Kirk said Kerry-Ann had been upset at the death of her father, Gerard, in March this year. The couple were divorced.
Donald Dewar, Scotland's first minister, said: "This is tragic and alarming news. This is why we are putting £10m into the drug enforcement agency and appointing 2,300 more police officers in the fight against drugs." Strathclyde police are investigating six other drugs-related deaths since Christmas Eve, but a spokesman for the force said there was no connection between them. "All of these deaths, apart from Kerry-Ann's, are heroin-related, but this is not down to a bad batch of heroin - it is just this is traditionally a bad time for drug deaths." There have been 146 drug-related deaths in Strathclyde this year, a 46% increase on 1998. John Orr, chief constable of Strathclyde, said the 146 deaths came despite outstanding drugs seizures throughout the region.
"The force is extremely sensitive to the fact that every death of this nature leaves behind close family and friends devastated by the tragedy," he said. "Society, as a priority, needs to utilise every means at its disposal to reduce and hopefully eradicate drugs deaths. "This is a multifaceted and complex problem that requires robust and coordinated efforts by all agencies."
UK: Struggling farmers warned off rave rents – December 1999 Struggling farmers warned off rave rents
BBC News - Saturday, 18 December, 1999
Copyright: BBC News
Struggling farmers are being warned not to rent out their barns for illegal millennium raves. The Country Landowners Association says farmers could be offered cash for the use of buildings, but would then risk jail and heavy fines.
South and West Wales CLA regional director Jonathan Andrews has advised farmers to make sure any events - such as raves - are legally approved by the police and local authorities before agreeing to rent out buildings. "Farmers will enter the year 2000 burdened by the worst recession since the 1930s," he said.
"Many will be desperately trying to scrape together money to pay bills and stay in business as their incomes continue to decline and their costs continue to rise. "So a request to let an empty barn or shed for a millen-nium celebration could be greeted by some struggling enterprises as a much-welcome lifeline to help revive dwindling cash flow."
Mr Andrews said they are urging all farmers and landowners - who are approached by the organisers of planned millennium raves, concerts, musical events or parties - to make sure that these will be legally approved by the police and local authorities.
"An owner of an empty building who did yield to temptation...could be creating a grave risk of starting the 21st century in serious trouble with the authorities and being hit by another financial disaster. "If prosecuted offenders could face a maximum penalty of six months in prison and/or a £20,000 fine."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
World: Goa millennium beach party banned – December 1999 Goa millennium beach party banned
BBC News - Friday, 24 December, 1999
Copyright: BBC News
The Indian state of Goa has banned a 10-day millennium beach party after fears of drug use and public nudity. Organisers of the non-stop rave, expected to attract some 25,000 people each day, have been told to put their plans on hold and were accused of breaking India's strict coastal environmental laws.
Acid parties are out. One can have fun without drugs.
The party was to take place on Goa's Anjuna beach, famous for its flea-markets and beach parties and a favourite of the hippies and backpackers of the 1960s and 70s. Goa's Chief Minister, Francisco Sardinha, told the AFP news agency that his administration would allow only "good clean fun". "Acid parties are out. Even when I was a young man, I did not go to such things. One can have fun without drugs," he said.
Controversy.
The event, billed as the biggest rave party in the world, ran into controversy when local newspapers accused the organiser of illegally occupying part of the beach to construct marquees and a multi-level dance floor.
Thousands were expected from around the world.
Organiser Jeh Wadia, the son of one of India's oldest and blue-blooded industrialists, was said to have illegally occupied land belonging to the government. Mr Wadia, the heir to the Bombay Dyeing textiles empire and a descendent of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, had been organising Goa raves for years, for "lovers of techno, jungle, acid and Goa trance music". But lawyers for a local journalist, who filed a public interest petition against Mr Wadia, said he failed to seek permission from a host of government agencies before planning his event.
Mega event.
The tiny one-time Portuguese enclave of Goa has attracted tourists for years, seduced by its sunny beaches and promise of hedonism. I don't want to sound more Popish than the Pope but we will try and make drugs totally out of reach for anyone. The millennium rave had been planned at a beachside restaurant, the Paradiso de Anjuna, with a dance floor extending down to the beach, tattoo and body-painting tents, cyber cafe, bars and sports facilities. But Goa has also acquired a notorious reputation as a drug haven. Recently, local citizens have drawn attention to drug peddling and paedophilia.
Goa's chief minister says it would be hard to totally ban the drug trade. "I don't want to sound more Popish than the Pope, but we will try and make drugs totally out of reach for anyone," he said. "But I cannot say we will be 100% effective."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
UK: Rave response ‘over the top’ – October 1999 Rave response 'over the top'
By thisisessex - Wednesday 13 October 1999
Copyright: thisisessex
The organiser of an illegal rave in Harwich hit back at claims his parties were a nuisance - and said the police response was over the top.
Police officers went to the rave at a war-time bunker off Barrack Lane after reports of a reveller with an air pistol.
But the organiser, who lives in the Tendring area and is known as Swampy, said yesterday that the pistol was owned by a boy who was not connected with the party.
He added when the pistol was found by party-goers it was taken off the boy and thrown away.
The organiser added the incident happened at 9pm on Saturday, but the police armed response unit did not arrive until 13 hours later.
Police said around 50 people were there, but the organiser claimed numbers were between 150 and 200.
Police said the event, which was yards from the police station, had passed off peacefully.
But the organiser, who admitted his event was totally illegal, said: "A lot of money was put out for policing that was unecessary. It was a little bit over the top and they left it a little bit late."
The man added the parties had to be illegal as permission would not be given for them.
"There's no way this council would permit us to have an all-night music licence in the area," he said. The parties are promoted by word of mouth and at other illegal parties.
http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/
UK: Rave over at last as 700 leave after 2 days – October 1999 Rave over at last as 700 leave after 2 days
By thisislondon - 25 October 1999
Copyright: thisislondon
As a two-day illegal rave at a derelict building finally ended this morning, people living nearby called on Westminster council to seal the premises to prevent a repetition.
Fearing a violent response if they tried to break up the party where 700 people were dancing to techno music, police were forced to stand by and watch, despite complaints from dozens of sleepless pensioners living within 300 feet of the Paddington site.
The party, which began on Saturday night, eventually wound up at around 5am today. All that remained was a sea of cans and bottles across the building's floors and anarchist slogans daubed on the walls. The doors were left open, leading residents to fear the party's organisers planned to return for more.
Ellen Papworth, 62, who lives opposite the building on the Harrow Road roundabout, said: "I have been awake since 3am on Sunday. The kids were falling all over the place as they came out. The police said that if they went in there and threw them out, the kids would be on the streets. One of the officers asked if that was what we really wanted. He was right. What if they had gone around smashing up cars or damaging property? But now they have left, surely the council must do something to make sure they cannot get back in."
The council was still considering its response this morning.
At the height of the party, a noise pollution spokesman said: "We had numerous complaints so we went in. As there was no one in charge, we served a notice to the DJ telling him to pack it in. We then called the police at Paddington but they said it was totally dark in there and that, because it was a derelict place with bricks, bottles and metal bars that the crowd could use as weapons, it would be inflammatory for them to go in. We couldn't stop the thing without police protection."
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/
UK: All-night rave yards from police station – October 1999 All-night rave yards from police station
By thisisessex - Monday 11 October 1999
Copyright: thisisessex
An illegal all-night rave was held yards from Harwich Police Station.
Ravers partied through the night at a war-time bunker on land off Barrack Lane - about 100 metres from the station's front door.
The sound system began pumping out dance tracks on Saturday night and the last of the revellers were not partied out until 10am yesterday.
Neighbours complained about noise and the possibility of drugs being sold. And there was a claim one raver had an air pistol with him.
A firearms unit was sent to the rave and a search was made but no weapon was found.
Sgt Andy Hook said the event passed off peacefully but he said the police had been given no notice of the event.
Sgt Hook said: "There was a suggestion somebody there had a firearm and our firearms unit was contacted but it all went off peacefully."
Police said up to 50 people attended the event.
Sgt Hook added: "We had no notice of it, the information came from members of the public that at about midnight or 1am there was a rave going on."
It is thought the organisers were from London but they have not been traced.
Some neighbours had complained of noise disturbance but Sgt Hook said while there was some noise it was not "hideous".
There were also claims that drugs were being sold at the party but police said they had no evidence that was the case.
http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/
UK: Police raid halts drugs party at former school – August 1999 Police raid halts drugs party at former school
By thisishampshire - Monday 02 August 1999
Copyright: thisishampshire
RAVERS planning an illegal drugs party at a derelict Southampton school had their rooftop hideaway raided by police.
Officers found the walled roof terrace transformed into a rave venue complete with sound system and makeshift chill-out area.
Controlled drugs were also seized in Saturday's raid, codenamed Operation Ferrier, at the former Eastern District Council school in Anglesea Terrace.
The special operation followed a noisy party the previous weekend, when dance music spread across the city centre as far as St Denys.
Operational commander Sergeant Paul Rowsell said: "We had information that another event was planned for Saturday night where controlled drugs were likely to be offered for sale.
"Our concerns related to the drugs issue as well as the disturbance for local residents and the personal safety of anyone who attended. It is a derelict building with a wealth of possible hazards.''
No-one was inside at the time of the bust but three men were later arrested at the scene.
Two local men aged 27 and 31, believed to have been the rave organisers, were kept in custody overnight.
The pair were later released but police inquiries were continuing.
A third man aged 27 had been warned for possession of cannabis.
http://www.thisishampshire.co.uk/
UK: Stonehenge Visits Cancelled – June 1999 Stonehenge Visits Cancelled
BBC News - Monday, June 21, 1999
Copyright: BBC News
English Heritage has withdrawn permission from hundreds of Druids to spend the summer solstice at Stone-henge following clashes between police and New Age travellers. The conservation body, which owns and looks after the 5,000-year-old monument, said that although the stones had not been damaged and no one was injured, the situation was "too unpredictable". A spokeswoman added that it did not want to risk the safety of a second group. "Certainly, after the events of last night, the groups and individuals we have been dealing with have been understanding, but obviously they are disappointed," she said. Nearly 100 people taking part in a Stonehenge Peace Process walk from Woodhenge had been due to end up at the circle at about 7pm.
Stonehenge is a focal point for people celebrating the summer solstice. The 150 people allowed onto the ancient site in Wiltshire on Sunday, including Druids and astrologers, had to abandon their solstice rituals. They were disturbed by about 200 New Age travellers, who broke down fences early on Sunday morning and rushed towards the ancient site. Some were seen dancing on top of the stones. About 100 police officers with protective clothing and riot shields - some on horseback - arrested 20 people for aggravated trespass, two for assaulting police and one for drugs offences.
Robert Hall reports: "Tonight police are on the alert once more". One policeman and a number of travellers are under-stood to have been injured in the disturbance. A security cordon has now been set up. About 1,000 Druids, hippies, travellers and sightseers were at the site on Salisbury Plain to watch the start of Britain's longest day. Andy Hollingshead, Superintendent of the Wiltshire Police, said authorities planned a large presence on Monday night to enforce the order barring anyone from getting near the site. "We realise the stones are a tourist site of great beauty and this will obviously detract from this, but we have to take measures to prevent what happened this morning happening again," he said.
'Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll'
But Kevin Carlyon, head of the British White Witches, claimed he had warned police there would be riots at Stonehenge, and had decided not to visit despite having permission. "We sent police eight pages down-loaded from a Website, which talked of a big rave organised at Stonehenge," he said. He criticised the re-vellers' behaviour, saying: "It should be a place of worship. It is not for sex, drugs and rock'n'roll." English Heritage had believed that limited access would help defuse tension and prevent some of the trouble seen in recent years.
English Heritage's Director of Stonehenge, Clews Everard: "It's been a very grim night". Its director of Stonehenge, Clews Everard, said a small group of people had ruined the organisers' hard work. She said they had wanted to make the last summer solstice celebrations before the millennium "special". "These people were not celebrating the solstice," she said. "What they were doing had nothing to do with spirituality, they're just a minority that has ruined it for the majority." But reveller Simon Sturrit, 31, said people who had gained access to the site had caused no trouble or violence.
Solstice at Seahenge
The youth hostel worker said: "English Heritage feels that people aren't allowed on the site but early this morning we all managed to gain access and just had a good time." But some Druids did manage to welcome the sunrise at another prehistoric monument - the circle of oak trees known as Seahenge. It recently emer-ged from the sea off the Norfolk coast. A dozen "earth people" sang sacred chants while one of them drew a diagram of the summer and winter solstices in the sand. "We very much hope there will not be more pro-blems," the English Heritage spokeswoman said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
UK: Top rave club loses licence – December 1998 Top rave club loses licence
By thisislondon - 18 December 1998
Copyright: thisislondon
London's top rave club, Bagley's, has lost its licence after flouting health and safety rules.
Police were also concerned it had turned into a major venue for drug users.
The King's Cross club, which attracts crowds of up to 4,000 every weekend, has recently been plagued with problems.
Documents seen by the Evening Standard reveal a long list of complaints to police about Bagley's over the past 18 months.
Police have been called to the area more than 200 times since June last year, dealing with 109 drugs offences and numerous violent incidents.
On a "fetish night" a fire exit was blocked with whipping posts. Safety fears by Camden council and local police led council officers to refuse renewal of its licence and to turn down a late licence for New Year's Eve.
Last month the club was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay Camden £6,000 costs by Highbury magistrates after admitting 27 breaches of licensing conditions.
A young clubber also claimed he was assaulted by the club's bouncers. Bruce Brian says he needed hospital treatment for a broken jaw after the alleged assault on 29 November, although club owners said video footage on the night did not show any evidence of a fight.
In August a random police check on 20 clubbers arriving at Bagley's and neighbouring dance venue The Cross revealed that all were carrying Class A drugs.
Ernest James, the chairman of Camden's licensing committee, said: "It was clear from the club's evidence at our hearing that there was complete indifference and a lack of concern for safety at the venue."
A spokesman for Bagley's refused to comment ahead of a company meeting.
However, it is understood the club will appeal against the decision. Organisers claim they were not given enough time to prepare for the hearing and thought they had met Camden's concerns.
The club has 21 days in which to appeal. If it does so it can remain open until the appeal is heard, which is likely to be in April.
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/
UK: Police halt rave party on Oxford meadow – August 1998 Police halt rave party on meadow
By thisisoxfordshire - Tuesday 11 August 1998
Copyright: thisisoxfordshire
Police and environmental health officers stopped a rave on Port Meadow after complaints in north Oxford.
They were called in the early hours of Sunday when the rave started about 250 yards from the end of Walton Well Road, Jericho.
An hour later, the organisers packed up and left after being told they could be served with a noise abatement notice and have their equipment seized.
Richard Atherton, the assistant city environmental health officer, said: "Wisely, they chose to stop and were escorted off the site.
"As the equipment was being driven away people were still arriving.
"We don't want to stop people enjoying themselves, but that doesn't give them the right to cause a noise nuisance."
Three weeks ago, police and environmental health officers raided a rave at the LMS station and seized speakers, amplifiers and a collection of records to enforce a noise abatement notice.
Oxford City Council has powers to seize stereo systems and magistrates can ensure that they are not returned.
The equipment is then either destroyed if it has no value or sold to cover costs. It is only returned after the costs of the seizure have been paid.
http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/
UK: Raver cuts wrists at roadblock – August 1998 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."
http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/
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