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.
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