UK Police Refuse To Shut Down Illegal Rave Due to ‘Health & Safety’ Fears

Last night, an illegal rave that lasted until 9:30 a.m. this morning in the city of Frome, England brought with it over 400 complaints to local police from the area’s population of 26,000. While the pounding music kept residents awake all night, police said it would not be “safe and proportionate” to intervene, The Telegraph reported. Despite allowing the music to play until the morning, police prevented more partygoers from entering under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994.

Residents of Frome who spoke to The Telegraph described the incident as selfish and staggering, with some blaming the police’s inactivity for the loss of sleep, aggravation and even lost wages.

In response to the growing number of complaints during the night, the Avon and Somerset police department issued a statement explaining the situation. Chief Superintendent Ian Smith described the usual procedure when dealing with a gathering of this size.

“If we are aware in advance about a potential event the law allows us to take action to close it down and seize whatever music equipment is on site before it gets fully underway. However, if it has already started and there are a large number of people on the site, an assessment has to be made whether safe and proportionate action can be taken at that moment.”

“Any potential action we may take is also balanced with the assessment of the number of resources we would need to intervene and the demand upon the force at that time. All incidents will be compared to the threat, harm and risk that they pose when deciding where resources will be deployed. Our priority is always the safety of the public.”

Meanwhile, according to several tweets and Instagram posts from attendees of the rave, the festivities seemed to transpire without a hitch. Watch the video included in tweet below to get a taste of the experience.

https://twitter.com/FromeGooner/status/731836723487870976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Source: The Telegraph