Five arrests as 800 attend illegal Norfolk rave

Ian Clarke Five people were arrested and sound equipment and drugs were seized after 800 people attended an illegal rave in Norfolk.In a carefully planned operation by police, exit routes at Brancaster were blocked by officers helping to arrest suspected organisers and drug dealers.

Ian Clarke

Five people were arrested and sound equipment and drugs were seized after 800 people attended an illegal rave in Norfolk.

In a carefully planned operation by police, three exit routes at Brancaster were blocked by officers and that helped them arrest suspected organisers and drug dealers as they left from a fourth exit yesterday morning.

Police went to the scene at Barrow Common, off Common Lane, at about midnight last night following a tip off from a member of the public.

They put the cordon around the site and rather than going in to break up the rave, they waited until people left and then made arrests.

About 25 officers were involved in the operation.

Two men, aged 44 and 23, were arrested on suspicion of organising the rave and of vandalism. Sound equipment was seized from their vehicle. They are still in custody.

Two men, aged 18 and 21, in a separate vehicle were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences and a significant amount of cannabis was recovered.

Both have been charged with possession of cannabis and ketamine and bailed to appear at court.

Another man was given a caution for possession of drugs and other people were dealt with at the scene for what police called “low level drugs offences.”

Officers are still trying to recover further items of rave equipment which organisers had attempted to hide in nearby shrubbery.

A senior police officer today revealed they had to deal with the rave on the busiest weekend for policing this year with a string of large scale public events across the county and an increase in emergency calls.

Supt Stuart Gunn, who led the operation, said: “Following reports of an unlicensed musical event in Brancaster by local residents, police attended, controlled the scene and arrested those believed to be the organisers as well as two suspected drugs dealers. This is in line with Norfolk Constabulary's firm approach to policing raves, which are potentially dangerous and disrupt those communities affected.

“This happened on what has been a very challenging weekend for policing with a number of large public events including the Tamil pilgrimage at Walsingham, the Lord Mayor's procession and Festival Too in King's Lynn. In addition, this has been the busiest weekend so far for general policing incidents.

“I would like to thank those members of the local community who took prompt action and offered their local knowledge to officers, helping to successfully bring the event to a conclusion.”

In a 24-hour period over the weekend there were about 1050 calls to the police - about 200 more than would be expected at this time of the year.