POLICE have admitted they were unable to break up an overnight rave on Saturday into Sunday (September 23-24) because they could not find its remote Exmoor location.
The event could be heard across a wide area from Luccombe to Selworthy and police received their first call from an upset resident at 3.20 am on Sunday morning.
The caller could hear loud music in Selworthy and said they believed an unauthorised music event was happening in the area but could not say where it was.
Due to other ongoing incidents in the area, including a ‘domestic incident’, police were unable to send officers to investigate for a further 90 minutes.
The officers could not find the site and at 6.20 am abandoned the search until more calls and online reports started to come in and a resident provided specific directions at about 8.40 am.
The event was being held in a remote location off Crook Horn Hill, near Luccombe, and police found about 100 people present when they arrived.
They then spoke with people at the site to have the volume of the music turned down and agreed to allow it to continue until 12 noon, when everybody would then have to leave.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Constabulary told the Free Press: “Every call we receive is adjudged by the threat, harm, and risk posed, and at times of peak demand we must make decisions about which incidents to prioritise."
The spokesman said during the time between starting and finishing the unsuccessful search for the rave there had not been any other complaints received from the public.
He said: “Due to the size of the event and the resources available, it was decided that on the grounds of public safety the most appropriate course of action was to engage with the organisers, who agreed to reduce the music levels, and that the event should conclude no later than noon.
“The music was turned off at noon and those remaining at the site are leaving the area.
“A police presence has been maintained throughout the morning to prevent more people from accessing the site.
“We appreciate this event has had a detrimental impact on the local community and are grateful for the information provided that has enabled us to identify the correct location.
“Going forward we will work with the landowner to establish any further security measures they can take to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.”
Police said officers remained on the site for several hours to monitor potential drug-driving offences but none were recorded.
Last autumn, residents in Luxborough successfully worked with police and other agencies to have the organiser of a series of illegal raves banned for a year from entering Exmoor National Park. Others who attended the raves were sent warning letters after information was provided by residents.