Police are pelted with bottles during raid on illegal warehouse party – as 150 revellers are each hit with £200 fine
- An illegal rave of 150 people took place in abandoned warehouse in Birmingham
- Police were hit with glass bottles as they raided party in Bordesley Street at 9pm
- Each partygoer was hit with a £200 fixed penalty notice totaling about £30,000
Around 150 revellers at an illegal rave in an abandoned warehouse in Birmingham were hit with £30,000 in fines after it was broken up by police last night.
Glass bottles were hurled at officers wearing riot gear by some of those present at the disused warehouse in Bordesley Street, in the Digbeth area of Birmingham.
Police raided the illicit party at about 9pm on Saturday and doled out thousands of pounds worth of fines after each partygoer was hit with a £200 penalty notice.
An illegal rave of about 150 people in an abandoned warehouse was broken up by police last night as they raided the building in Bordesley Street, Birmingham
West Midlands Police said an officer suffered injuries after being assaulted and a 36-year-old man is currently in custody for questioning.
A search of the site saw police recover sound system equipment, Class A drugs and a knuckleduster, while officers are investigating further action against the event’s organisers.
Ravers barricade themselves inside to stop police getting in as the event unfolded at around 9.30pm.
Ravers barricade themselves inside and officers wearing riot gear were hit with glass bottles as they put an end to the party around 9pm
More partygoers arrived in the area carrying bags of booze, but made a quick getaway after spotting police.
As more riot police arrived, officers eventually breached the barricade and stopped the music.
Ten riot vans were seen surrounding the large factory and several police cars. Four dog units also arrived to help keep the crowd under control.
Paramedics arrived after a woman was brought out by officers with a suspected broken ankle.
Ten riot vans were seen surrounding the large factory and several police cars. Four dog units also arrived to help keep the crowd under control
Revellers were led from the building in groups of six and hit with fixed penalty notices for breaching lockdown restrictions
Chief Superintendent Andy Beard said: ‘This was not only illegal but extremely dangerous for both those who attended and officers.
‘It’s extremely disappointing that some are still not grasping that such events only increase the risk of spreading a deadly virus.
‘We’re currently under national restrictions and the region will then go into the highest tier due to the number of Covid cases next week.
Revellers were eventually led from the building in groups of six and each partygoer was hit with a £200 fixed penalty notice for breaking lockdown, totaling about £30,000 in fines
‘It’s unacceptable when people recklessly ignore the rules and put themselves and others at risk of catching the disease. It’s also unacceptable that officers should be attacked while going about their duties.
‘We’ve seized equipment, drugs and a weapon, and we’ll be looking to ensure there will be no repeat again.’
West Midlands Chief Constable Dave Thompson praised his officer’s efforts to tackle the gathering, tweeting: ‘Outstanding work by all teams engaged on this operation.’
Birmingham is set to move into tough Tier 3 when lockdown ends on Wednesday.