Dorstone 'illegal rave': Officers use powers to disperse party-goers

A "number of arrests" for driving offences were made after hundreds of people attended an "illegal rave".

People travelled from as far as Cambridge, Portsmouth and London for the event in Dorstone, Herefordshire.

West Mercia Police said it used a Section 63 dispersal order under the Criminal Justice Public Order Act to "disperse" some of the group who remained early evening on Sunday.

They were first called to reports of an illegal rave at 01:00 BST on Sunday.

Officers set up road blocks, but residents told the BBC that vehicles continued to arrive, and that groups were being dropped off from taxis.

Annette Jones, whose farm is next to the site on Vaga Hill, said there had been "non-stop cars, people, music" throughout Saturday night.

She said she was worried that gates might have been left open, and was up early "checking every field" to make sure they were closed.

"Thankfully we haven't had any issues this side," she said.

BBC Hereford and Worcester reporter Nicola Goodwin, said more than 150 people were at the site "on the edge of the English-Welsh border" at lunchtime on Sunday. Rubbish had been left in the village, she said.

Supt Ed Williams said the force received several reports "regarding the number of people gathered in Dorstone, as well as loud noise".

Officers asked people to "leave the area as per the current lockdown regulations" and a number were compliant.

"However it became necessary to issue the Section 63 order in order to disperse the remaining members of the public," he said.

"I am pleased to say that we were able to clear the area in a calm and peaceful way."

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