Police threaten roadblocks and vow to seize music equipment as they warn revellers planning to go to Soul Sure event in Essex TONIGHT not to go and break Covid lockdown
Police have threatened to set up road blocks and seize equipment if a planned illegal rave goes ahead in Essex tonight.
Police say the Soul Sure event in Chelmsford will break coronavirus social distancing rules.
Warnings have been issued to organisers of the event - who could face fines of up to £10,000 if the large gathering goes ahead.
The UK's second lockdown only permits two people from different households to meet outdoors.
Should the illegal rave still go ahead, police have the power to issue dispersal orders, confiscate equipment and set up road blocks to prevent any more people attending.
Essex Police's Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Basford has urged 'anyone thinking of going to think again'.
It follows a series of lockdown-defying raves up and down the country as the coronavirus pandemic raged on.
Essex Police's Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Basford has urged 'anyone thinking of going to think again'.
It follows a series of lockdown-defying raves up and down the country as the coronavirus pandemic raged on. These included an all-night illegal warehouse rave in London last month
These included an all-night illegal warehouse rave in London last month, during which hundreds of young people packed into Barking venue in front of a live DJ.
Videos shared online showed a crowd of ravers ignoring social distancing rules to stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
In August, an illegal rave in Thetford Forest saw ravers clashing with riot police who tried to shut down their 3,000-person-strong event.
Hundreds of young people packed into an all-night illegal warehouse rave in London
In August, an illegal rave in Thetford Forest saw ravers clashing with riot police who tried to shut down their 3,000-person-strong event
Detective Chief Inspector Basford said: 'We are concerned for the safety of anyone planning to attend this unauthorised event and the impact it will have on the wider public should it go ahead.
'The legislation is in place for a reason, to help stop the spread of the virus and to keep people safe.
'Unauthorised events involving large groups of people pose a real risk to those attending.
'We also know that such events are often frequented by people who look to cause trouble for the sake of it, which will ruin the good time of anyone there.'
'I'd urge anyone thinking of going to think again.'