Police warning as organisers of illegal raves face £10,000 fines
Organisers of illegal raves have been warned they can now be fined £10,000 under new powers brought in by the Government.
It comes as West Midlands Police revealed it has been called to more than 800 gatherings over the last five weeks.
Revellers at these events have also been warned they can be fined £100 for turning up - with that fee doubling every time, up to £3,200.
Police have served a disruption notice to a Birmingham woman thought to have organised several music events in the city recently.
Glossy artwork on social media promised food and drink on sale at a secret location which would be announced shortly before it began this weekend. These events have now been cancelled.
Over the last five weekends, West Midlands Police has been called to 825 events, with most shutting down after advice from officers. In only a handful of cases has enforcement been necessary.
Chief Superintendent Claire Bell said: "We understand that people want to have fun, but we are in a pandemic situation and the spread of Covid-19 is still a very real threat.
"Not only are you risking catching or spreading the virus to family and friends, the larger scale events are generally unlicensed and not risk assessed, meaning emergency services could have difficulty getting to someone in need.
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"Many of these events have seen criminal behaviour including disorder, drug dealing and possession of weapons. Is it worth the risk?
"We aim to target the organisers of these events who face having their equipment seized as well as a hefty fine.
"We take no pleasure in breaking up parties, but these are Government regulations to control the spread of Covid-19 and we must all play our part to help the country get back to a new normal."
The force's deputy police and crime commissioner, Waheed Saleem, added: "It is vital that people stay safe over the bank holiday. People should be able to enjoy themselves in a way which ensures that the virus can’t spread.
"We’ve had a large number of illegal gatherings and raves over the past few weeks which can pose a real threat. These events are an ideal place for the virus to spread in large crowds as well as being a hub for other criminality.
"I would urge anybody considering attending a large gathering or rave to think again. Police have powers to fine organisers of these events £10,000 and attendees can also receive a penalty notice."
Police have asked anyone with information about illegal gatherings to get in touch.
