North Wales Police warns illegal rave organisers could be fined £10,000 ahead of Bank Holiday weekend
North Wales Police has warned organisers of illegal raves they could be fined £10,000 ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend.
The force said officers would be patrolling known problem areas over the next few days following intelligence about unlicensed music events being arranged.
The Welsh Government has recently moved to give the police greater powers to prevent illegal raves taking place in Wales, as part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Ministers are amending Covid-19 regulations to prohibit the organising of an unlicensed music event of more than 30 people.
These are events that are not licensed or otherwise authorised under the Licensing Act 2003.
@NWP_CentralSupt Jason Devonport will be on @BBCWalesToday this evening, talking about #OperationBlueForrest which targets illegal raves over the Bank Holiday weekend.#UME #StopAndThink
📺BBC 1 Wales
⏰ 6.30pm pic.twitter.com/dfonq4VFzF— North Wales Police (@NWPolice) August 28, 2020
A breach of this prohibition will be an offence punishable by conviction and an unlimited fine or, as an alternative to conviction, by a fixed penalty set at £10,000.
Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Martin Hewitt, said: “We all have a role to play limiting the spread of this virus and officers will continue to be out in communities – engaging, explaining and encouraging people to act responsibly. We will use enforcement where necessary.
“Mass gatherings of more than 30 people are illegal and dangerous. We will work to prevent these taking place by engaging with the organisers, where this is possible.
“Officers now have the power to issue £10,000 fines to the organisers of these events and £100 fines to those who choose to attend them.
“I would urge anyone thinking about attending a mass gathering to consider the risks you are creating for yourself, your family and others.”
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