http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk
19 June 2004
Police across the Westcountry are preparing to crack down on illegal raves this summer, armed with new powers to confiscate stereos and take revellers to court.
Officers have set up road blocks and barricades around the disused Smeatharpe airfield in East Devon which two years ago was overrun by revellers turned away from the Glastonbury Festival.
As the summer party season gets under way – with Glastonbury next weekend – the police could be testing out new powers to move on rowdy trespassers.
Armed with the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, officers can now disband gatherings once 20 or more people have congregated in an open or indoor area. In the past the police were unable to take action to force people to move unless at least 100 people had gathered.
Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Police have joined forces to scour the Internet for any mention of illegal raves in a bid to stop summer revellers invading rural beauty spots.
Any information gathered will be used to launch an action plan to nip illicit gatherings in the bud.
Police will also be asking local farmers, landowners and residents to let them know of any suspicious characters in their area who might be assessing its viability as a rave site.
The crackdown, codenamed Operation Hartley, aims to prevent a repeat of the illegal gatherings at Smeatharpe in 2002, where 1,000 people turned away from Glastonbury converged on the airfield, staying uninvited for several weeks and leaving heaps of refuse behind them.
“Access to the site at Smeatharpe was easy and obviously identified well in advance by the rave organisers,” said Chief Inspector Nick Jarrold, who is overseeing a police operation to ensure that revellers stay away from Smeatharpe this year.
Barriers have been erected around the disused airfield and officers will be patrolling the area within a five-mile radius of the airfield, metres from the Somerset border.
“When the raves go ahead unchecked, they cause disruption for the residents living nearby and can result in many of our valuable resources being tied up for long periods of time,” said Chief Insp Jarrold. “With effective planning, a smaller number of local officers can prevent these gatherings.”
But he said the powers would be used responsibly with police aiming to be as reasonable as possible with revellers. “We are not rubbing our hands with glee and using the powers to disrupt all sorts of parties – the laws are simply there to use if needs be, making our job a little easier,” he said.
“If people are aware that there are strangers or strange vehicles paying particular attention to areas of land such as beaches, woodland or fields, we would ask them to ring the police, noting down a description and licence plates so that we can build up a jigsaw of intelligence to crack down on regular offenders.”
The police initiative and new laws have been broadly welcomed by Westcountry MPs.
John Burnett, Liberal Democrat MP for West Devon, said: “I am in favour of people enjoying themselves as long as they don’t do it at others’ expense. If they behave anti-socially then I am delighted that the police are acting to stop them.”
Andrew George, Lib-Dem MP for St Ives, gave a more guarded welcome.
He said: “If there is such behaviour or an event is taking place on private land without the owner’s consent then the new powers will be useful, but I think the police may on occasion have problems with the interpretation of the laws.”
Chris Bobey, 31, a former outdoor rave-goer from Totnes went one step further. “It is a waste of taxpayers’ money and police time when they should be out catching murders and rapists,” he said.
“If people want to get out into the open air to have a dance and enjoy themselves, as long as they don’t disturb residents and they clean up after themselves they should be left in peace.
“Generally in this area raves are small parties that are well organised and controlled. People mainly go to listen to the music and they are far less problematic than the standard drug-taking and binge-drinking culture you see every Saturday night in licensed bars and clubs.”
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Avon and Somerset Police
http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk
Tuesday, 15 June 2004 11:07
With the summer months comes the problem of illegal gatherings and raves across the country.
But for the first time this summer, and in the build up to the Glastonbury Festival, new powers mean the Avon and Somerset Constabulary is geared up to stop raves before they start.
The force is believed to be one of the first in the country to adopt the new legislation under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act.
A joint police and local authority operation aimed at preventing travellers on the way to the Glastonbury Festival setting up illegal gatherings is already under way.
In the past, 100 people have needed to gather in an open space before action could be taken.
The new order means once 20 or more people have gathered in an open or indoor area, steps can be taken to break the gathering up.
The constabulary’s operational planning team have put together the new legislation under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, after previously only being able to use Public Order Act legislation.
Operational Planning head Supt Adrian Coombs, who has over seen the project, said: “This is the first time we have had a proper Permanent Operational Order to deal with raves.
“In the past we have had a situation where police officers have realised they could do little until a rave had been going on for some time, meaning serious disruption to both local people and officers.
“Now officers will have the power to take early action to prevent a rave getting off the ground in the first place.
“The new legislation gives police powers to remove 20 or more people who we believe might be involved in trespass, which will stop raves in disused warehouses taking place.”
The legislation also means it is an offence for anyone who has been dealt with for trying to start a rave to have any other illegal gathering within the next 24 hours – meaning people will not be able to simply be moved on before setting up again.
It has already been approved as official protocol by regional assistant chief constables and has been embraced by local authorities throughout the force area.
Supt Coombs added: “With our intelligence we aim to stop these gatherings before they happen.
“An important part of this will be working with local authorities who have already given the backing we need to take this forward.”
Supt Coombs and Ch Supt Mark Thompson will be available for a webchat with members of the public on all Glastonbury Festival issues from 6pm until 8pm on Wednesday, June 16, 2004.
Avon and Somerset Police – Press Releases
http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/newsroom2/newsroom_main2.asp
Avon and Somerset Police – Glastonbury Festival
http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/secure/glastonbury_festival/glastonbury_festival_main.asp
