Thirteen arrested in crackdown on lockdown raves

Thirteen people have been arrested in a police crackdown on lockdown raves.

Staffordshire Police detained the 11 men and two women in connection with illegal raves planned in Cannock over the weekend.

The force also seized a generator, speakers and an amplifier.

It comes after police warned against planned raves across the county border in the Black Country on Saturday, and gatherings in Greater Manchester, where one man died and three were hurt.

Supt Carl Ratcliffe, from Staffordshire Police, said: "These gatherings are both illegal and irresponsible and put people at risk with the current global pandemic still not over.

"We will do all we can to stop these illegal raves from taking place."

Five of the arrested men were detained on suspicion of conspiring to commit a public nuisance and have since been granted conditional bail.

The remaining suspects were arrested for drug offences and remain in police custody.

The force also put a dispersal order in place in the Chasewater area, covering Norton Canes, Brownhills and Heath Hayes, for Saturday night to deter gatherings.

Officers worked with colleagues from West Midlands Police after intelligence suggested a rave was being planned in "a remote location" in the Black Country.

It followed a gathering, of more than 1,000 people in Lichfield, on 13 June which had to be dispersed by police.

The same night, police were called to raves in Carrington and Daisy Nook Country Park in Greater Manchester where one man died, three were stabbed and a woman was also raped.

"We are in an unprecedented time and we won't accept anyone putting our communities at risk by holding these illegal raves," Supt Ratcliffe said.

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