Three people arrested following illegal rave on Ministry of Defence land

Three people were arrested following a 100-strong illegal rave on Ministry of Defence (MoD) property in Wiltshire earlier this month.

In a statement, Wiltshire Police said they were called to the property at 12:50AM on Pear Tree Lane, Great Cheverell, on November 30, after locals complained of "loud thumping" noises lasting "for hours".

Upon arrival, police claim they found a "moderately advanced" setup, seizing generators, a soundsystem and a stage, estimating that "around 100-150 people" were in attendance at the unlicensed music event (UME).

Read this next: Bristol police insist they’re not “stopping people having fun” after shutting down skatepark rave

"Due to the event taking place on MoD land, officers liaised with the military, and an effective plan was put in place to minimise the disruption to the local community and address the illegal gathering," the statement reads.

Three people were arrested on suspicion of drug-related offences, including one for suspected drug driving — all have been released on bail, pending further investigation.

Mixmag merch is here: Shop the collection 

“We responded swiftly to the multiple reports we received from members of the public in relation to this incident," Wiltshire Police Superintendent James Brain said. "However, we acknowledge that there were some members of the public who were inconvenienced by the noise from the location."

“I’d like to reassure residents that we are committed to robustly addressing UME’s across Wiltshire and will take all proportionate action required to deal with individuals involved," he continues. "On this occasion, we seized a large amount of sound equipment and generators from the site and further enquiries are currently ongoing around the UME.”

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter