Man faces £10,000 fine after organising illegal rave in Newcastle - with nearly 300 people attending

The organiser of an illegal rave at a Newcastle industrial unit is facing a £10,000 fine.

Officers believe that up to 300 people were in attendance at the gathering over the weekend.

In the early hours of Sunday, Northumbria Police received a number of calls from concerned members of the public about crowds of people present at the unit on Industry Road in Heaton. 

When officers arrived, they found hordes of people leaving the area and many more still inside the unit – with the party in full swing.

The event was immediately shut down, and the man was arrested for organising a gathering of more than 30 people.

The 20-year-old has since been issued with a court summons for failing to comply with COVID-19 legislation and faces a £10,000 fine.

Officers believe around 300 people attended the unlicensed music event and have issued a warning to those who continue to flout lockdown rules.

Chief Inspector Steve Wykes, from Northumbria Police, also said: “As a Force, we condemn the reckless behaviour of not only the organiser but all those who attended without a second thought to the wider impact this has on our communities.

“A breach of this size and scale undermines the efforts being made by all those who are following the rules, which in many cases means going without seeing their loved ones, as they continue to do their bit to prevent the spread of this virus. 

“I urge everyone to continue to show the resolve they have so far – we must all play our part in protecting one another.”

A small quantity of MDMA was also recovered from the event during the stop and search of a 22-year-old male.