Riot police make five arrests at illegal rave in Berkshire

An illegal rave in Berkshire was shut down by riot police on Saturday after a two-hour stand-off.

Approximately 300 people attended the party on land near the M4, which reportedly rattled the windows of a nearby hotel with the volume of its soundsystem.

Thames Valley Police made five arrests after arriving on site following a disturbance call at 8pm. They also assisted a man who had collapsed with receiving medical treatment.

Police claim missiles were launched at them, leading to dog units, five riot vans and a helicopter being called for backup.

The M4 was closed temporarily after revellers leaving the party spilled onto the road.

Chief Inspector Graham Hadley, said: “This was an event which took place in which members of the public put themselves in danger by taking drugs and going on to the M4 carriageway. Thankfully it was resolved without serious injury.

“Illegal unlicensed music events are dangerous and there is little regard for public safety and we will continue to deal with reports of such events robustly."

Among the five arrests made, counts include suspicion of attempting to assault police and possession to supply drugs.

A 29-year-old man has also been charged with one count of failure to leave a rave. He has been bailed and will appear at Reading Magistrates’ Court on December 20.

Check out footage of the rave below.

[Via: BBC & Reading Chronicle]

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Staff Writer, follow him on Twitter