​Five jailed following illegal Halloween rave on outskirts of Bristol

Five people have been jailed following an illegal Halloween rave on the outskirts of Bristol.

Between 500 and 700 people attended the rave in Yate on Saturday 31 October.

Three men and two women admitted assaulting emergency workers, obstructing police and failing to leave the land as requested.

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One man in his 20s from Devon was jailed for 38 weeks after pleading guilty to spitting at an officer.

The other four defendants collectively received sentences totalling 22 weeks in prison, including a woman sentenced for kicking an officer.

Fifteen people were also issued fixed penalty notices including two men who received £10,000 fines for organising the event.

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DS Harriet Drewett condemned the event, saying: “Hundreds of people that evening believed their desire to have a night out was more important than protecting the health of their loved ones and people in their community.

She added their behaviour was “reckless and selfish in the extreme,” and “officers who attended that night also faced shocking levels of hostility and in some cases violence, which is completely unacceptable.”

The event took place on the same night Boris Johnson announced a second lockdown.

Paddy Edrich is a freelance writer, follow him on Twitter

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