rave dying a slow death, even in the UK

Should we be surprised that this Mr. Pitts, a promoter of legal events, would be all for a police crackdown on illegal parties, of course not that's more patrons for his scantioned events.

Police vow to root out rogue ravers

ED NASH
21 July 2005 06:06

Police have promised to root out rave organisers in a bid to stop the disruptive events before they start.

And they received unlikely support from one of the region's most prominent organisers of legal dance parties, who condemned rogue ravers who partied without regard for residents.

Stephen Sayer, also known as Mr Pitts, who promotes dance parties across Norfolk, said he approved of the steps police were taking against parties organised on people's land without permission.

“If somebody is trespassing, then they should take action,” he said. “And if somebody is playing music outdoors without consideration for people who live nearby, then the police should stop them.”

He added that all his parties were held inside marquees erected with the permission of landowners. “Trespassing is wrong,” he said.

His words came after a weekend of illegal parties, which saw officers called to remote spots near Thetford and Reepham in the early hours of Sunday, where hundreds of revellers were trying to hold raves.

At Frog Hill, Wretham, a military training camp on the outskirts of Thetford, around 500 people were dispersed by police using powers from the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.

And at Thurning, near Reepham, an irate farmer forced ravers off his land with a JCB and muckspreader.

Norfolk police are increasing their work monitoring illegal parties as part of the force's ongoing crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

Operations support Supt Bob Scully, whose portfolio includes the force's policy on unlicensed parties and raves, said officers were gathering intelligence on the people who organised the parties and the situations they were held in so they could get a picture of how they were organised.

“We are dealing with people who are infringing other people's right to a quiet life,” he said.

He added officers disrupting raves would work to gather evidence for a possible prosecution against the people who set the parties up as well as making sure revellers dispersed.

Raves not only disturbed residents, but in Norfolk could often cause damage to agricultural land or wildlife reserves, he said.

He also warned that because they were unlicensed, such raves didn't offer party-goers the protection that an organised event did.

Along with the rest of Norfolk's policing, the policy regarding raves is moving towards a more intelligence-based approach and Supt Scully said that, when appropriate, the police would use their powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order act to stop people setting up the events.

He also compared anti-social behaviour and raves to drink driving: something that was once taken for granted, but is now unacceptable.

“The prime thing that is going to make a change is when people realise that certain types of behaviour are just not acceptable. When people wake up in the morning and think, 'I'm not going to organise a rave tonight', that will be success.”

Police recorded more than 50 illegal parties in Norfolk last year and Supt Scully said so far this year there had been fewer raves.