Soundproof Rooms and Dressing-Gown Disguise Feature as English Police Raid Lockdown-Breaking Parties

Police in England released footage on February 19 described as showing raids on house parties, including one where a room had been soundproofed, being held in contravention of COVID-19 lockdown rules as they warned of further raids to come.

West Midlands Police said it was “keeping up the pressure this weekend on illegal large gatherings” ahead of the weekend.

Police gave details of the incidents shown in the footage.

In one incident, 50 people were attending a birthday party in a soundproof room. Alerted to the party by people who noticed taxis attending the location, “once inside, our officers found a DJ, disco lights, beer, birthday cake − and even Class A drugs.”

In another incident, when police arrived at the door of a residence where a gathering was taking place, lights that had been flashing inside went off and "a woman came to the door in a dressing gown in an apparent bid to make the officers think all was quiet.

“After being questioned as to why she was wearing jewellery and fake lashes to bed, she showed us inside the flat − where we’d been told a party was being streamed live on Instagram.”

Police said some guests were allowed to leave this latter incident, but three people were arrested after two officers were assaulted. Credit: West Midlands Police via Storyful