Police arrest 12 at illegal warehouse rave

Police had to intervene after 500 ravers attended an illegal warehouse rave in Kent at the weekend.

12 people, aged from 17 to 41, were arrested on charges of drug possession, criminal damage and theft.

A video posted by Twitter user @AiryMoss shows people running away from the industrial unit in Mark Way, Swanley in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The rave, which was interrupted by police around 12.15am, was said to have taken place in a new building, with extensive damage left by the punters, according to Detective Superintendent Ann Lisseman of Kent Police.

Lisseman said: "Although unlicensed music events in Kent are thankfully rare, they can cause a number of issues, including damage, noise, and disorder. They attract large numbers to unoccupied properties which can cause safety issues for those attending, especially if the building has not been maintained.

"In this case, it was a new building, and sadly for the owners a large amount of damage was caused during the event."

The premises is said to to have been cleared by 7am by both Kent Police and British Transport Police.

Back in April, 11 people were arrested at a rave on the South Downs, while police shut down a 12-hour party at a primary school in May.

[Via: Kent Online]

Dave Turner is Mixmag's Digital News Editor, follow him on Twitter