RESIDENTS on Exmoor fear more illegal raves could blight them over the upcoming May bank holiday weekends.

The concerns follow an Easter weekend when thousands of people descended on two raves near Luxborough and Dunkery Beacon, disturbing residents with loud music, blocking roads with parked cars, and using livestock fields for toilets.

They were the first reported since a community protection warning was obtained last summer imposing a 12-month ban on entering the national park on a rave organiser believed to be from the Bristol area.

Somerset Deputy Lord Lieutenant Jennifer Duke, who lives in Luxborough, said it seemed more than a coincidence that the protection order expired only weeks before the Easter raves happened.

Mrs Duke said: “It is the timing of that community protection warning having now elapsed, I just find it too much of a coincidence.

“We have had no problems at all for a year and now it has started up again.”

Mrs Duke said the events were impacting rural businesses as well as the lives of local residents.

She said: “I spoke to a neighbour who runs a holiday cottage business and she was in despair about it.

“Previously, she was having to offer refunds to customers because of the raves.

“It really is impacting holiday businesses on the moor, nobody wants to come here and find all that.”

Mrs Duke said Easter Sunday’s raves had been the worst residents had seen, with the important B3224 road impassable.

She said: “There were cars parked on both sides of the road and people staggering around in the road. It was terrible.”

Avon and Somerset Police said no evidence had been found linking the Easter events with organisers of previous raves.

A spokesperson said the force recognised the distress and disruption to local residents which unlicensed music events could cause and urged people to report anything suspicious by calling the police on 101.

The spokesperson said: “In the majority of cases, officers are able to disperse these gatherings.

“The earlier we know about them, the easier it is to take steps to prevent them and limit disruption.”