Man arrested and two teenage boys fined £1,000 after police break up illegal Boxing Day rave of 100 people

A man has been arrested and two teenage boys handed £1,000 fines after police were called to an illegal Boxing Day rave involving around 100 people.

Officers were called to empty flats in the Shudehill area of Manchester at around 4.20am on Sunday (December 27) to reports of a large gathering and loud music.

When they got to the address on Hanover Street, they dispersed around 100 people and seized music equipment, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

Police have been battling illegal raves throughout the coronavirus crisis, including one in Finsbury Park in London in July when officers were attacked with bricks and bottles and one in Bristol in November when police were pelted with bottles as they tried to break it up.

Watch: Illegal raves: What is going on?

Greater Manchester Police said two teenage boys, aged 17 and 18, were each handed £1,000 fixed penalty notices following the incident at the weekend.

A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of racially-aggravated public order and was also issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice.

Chief Inspector Colin MacDiarmid, of GMP’s City of Manchester division, said: “There is no denying the blatant breach of COVID legislation that took place here last night, and enquiries are ongoing to ensure the organisers of this gathering are held accountable for their unacceptable actions.

“The majority of people in Manchester have made tremendously difficult sacrifices over the Christmas period and have complied with the rules that we all have to follow; however, it is the minority of people who attend events such as this that risk undoing the hard work of everyone else.

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He added: “It is clear that the people at this gathering weren’t just people from Manchester but from across the North West, and it not only disregards the rules there to protect public health but also undermines the whole spirit of us all needing to be in this together to battle the ongoing risk of coronavirus.

“We have always, and continue to, operate by using the four Es of engaging, explaining, and encouraging the public to comply, but we will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those found to be responsible for blatant examples of flouting the rules such as this."

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