Illegal Rivington 'rave' organisers fined and equipment seized (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Illegal Rivington 'rave' organisers fined and equipment seized
11:37am Friday 8th October 2010 in Rivington
TWO men who organised an illegal rave which attracted revellers from throughout Lancashire have been fined and had their music equipment seized.
Graeme Mizon, 43, of Mark Lane, Todmorden, and Paul Aughton, 45, of Long Butts, Penwortham, set up the late night party, which included marquees and a huge sound system at a secluded area in Rivington, near Chorley.
Plans for the event were publicised via social networking website Facebook.
The pair were found guilty of providing licensable activity without a licence following a one-day trial at Chorley Magistrates’ Court.
During the operation to close the event, which began at around 11pm on May 15, police closed roads leading to Dean Head Lane and stopped dozens of vehicle heading to the event.
Police said that loud amplified music was being played, two large marquees had been erected and around 60 people were already in attendance.
At 1.50am a formal direction to leave was delivered to the crowd and the music was terminated.
Mizon and Aughton were both fined £615 including costs and the court made a depravation order of the music and sound equipment, which was seized by police on the night and is valued at around £6,000.
Sgt Tony Bushell from the police licensing department said: “The real coup is the seizure and forfeiture of the equipment which will prevent these individuals from carrying out these events in future.
“We have seen a number of raves in the area and these events cause considerable problems for local residents. "They also impact massively on police resources and result in an increase in violent crime.
“Due to the footage gained by our evidence gatherers on the night, we were able to satisfy the court that the defendants played some part in the organisation despite their denials.”
In September 2009, a similar rave was broken up by police in Rivington when around 400 people attended.
On that occasion officers remained at the scene until 7am and it was reported revellers travelled from Lancashire, Manchester and Yorkshire.
Comments(4)
pez63
says...
5:17pm Fri 8 Oct 10
trhippy wrote:Lets all rave again...!
" impact massively on police resources and result in an increase in violent crime." Far less though than every Friday and Saturday night in the town centre. Did Thisislancashire attempt to contact the rave organisers to get some form of balance on this story? Or do we just believe everything the authorities tell us. Ravers are the hippies of this generation! Not a speck of evil among them.
Mr Alethiea
says...
12:39pm Mon 11 Oct 10
We should support our police's public order policy in the expectation that they are wisely using our scant resources to address difficult issues of widespread public concern. Partying in the middle of nowhere is not one of these, despite the quoted officer gravely warning us that such parties "... result in an increase in violent crime." If this is so then why is all this violent crime going unreported ? Our town centres on the other hand are full of violent crime.
The officer states that "We have seen a number of raves in the area and these events cause considerable problems for local residents." but he doesn't say what these problems are and its hard to imagine them - Dean Head Lane, the secluded car park your report, is extremely remote. There simply are no neighbours to be disturbed. No one I know has ever heard about these parties or been inconvenienced by them. Meanwhile there are no police in town centres on Saturday night because they're off in the countryside, stopping 60 people from dancing in a secluded car park. Have we got our priorities right ?
How much is it costing us to keep secluded car parks free of midnight dancers ?
gsmith41
says...
2:00pm Tue 19 Oct 10
Then why at 11pm did the police not ask to shut the systems down at that point. The seizure off equipment is a harsh punishment to a group of people who it seems complied with everything asked of them.
I live near to the area in which the party took place and the only disturbance that evening was the police helicopter hovering for up to an hour above causing more noise pollution than this so called huge sound system. When in reality, if the report is to be believed, the police have wasted valuble resourses at our expense.
I believe that Sgt Bushell should in future stick to the town centres where you only need to enter a Public house in Chorley town centre on a Saturday night, this is where he could use his licencing act 2003 on the many under age drinkers and those premises that serve them. Also if in this case would they strip these public houses of their sound system or just a fine.
When Reading about this case I also find that the Lancashire constablary gave a quote and this has been syndicated to all local papers. Some giving false infomation ie facebook being used, no where in the police statement has this been quoted as true.
Such is what passes for journalism and justice in Lancashire. As I have already posted comments on all these sites perhaps someone would care make this observation there - I do not believe your readers, tax payers would feel well served by such an approach.
I presume the reason these people try to party in these remote areas is a reaction to the unpoliced, unprotected, impossible town centres. The people arrested are not young but middle aged and sensible enough to try, fail and walkaway peacefully. Unlike Sgt Bushel who seems to think that 400 people partying in September last year was ok to make no arrests and let them carry on, please explain the difference Sgt as to why you didn't let this one carry on. Obviosly not a rave but a small party on a secluded carpark that you wasted thousands of pounds in resourses.
trhippy says...
1:54pm Fri 8 Oct 10
Far less though than every Friday and Saturday night in the town centre. Did Thisislancashire attempt to contact the rave organisers to get some form of balance on this story? Or do we just believe everything the authorities tell us.
Ravers are the hippies of this generation! Not a speck of evil among them.