Inside illegal rave that saw 1,500 descend on field and took 2 days to shut down
An illegal rave saw a field shut down for two days as 1,500 revellers crammed inside a farm building to party.
Police officers responded to the large gathering near Corfe Castle in the Purbeck area of Dorset at 10.40pm last Saturday.
Dorset Police estimate around 1,500 people attended the event, with 500 cars left parked in a field in Wytch Farm as residents in the Corfe Castle and Wareham areas awoke in the early hours to the thumping bass and pounding rhythms of the loud music.
Footage shared on TikTok appears to show hundreds of people packed inside a farm building with large speakers, lighting and DJ equipment.
Police officers monitored the event throughout the bank holiday weekend, with officers using powers under the Public Order Act to tell people to leave the area. The music was later turned off to "minimise any further disruption to residents".
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The last remaining revellers on Monday morning (May 29) left the scene and the site was empty by around 2.30pm. During this weekend, the road at the Norden roundabout leading to the Purbeck Park car park was closed off by police, along with Thrasher’s Lane off the B3351 New Road.
This was in order to limit vehicles travelling to the site but also for the safety of revellers heading out.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan, of Dorset Police, said: “Officers have been working throughout the days and nights to ensure that this event was brought to a safe conclusion.
View from the air showing the field where an illegal rave is taking place next to the Wytch Farm oil field near Corfe Castle in Dorset (©Graham Hunt)“On Sunday 28 May 2023, police officers gave a direction for people to leave the scene using powers under the Public Order Act. Due to the large-scale nature of the event, we anticipated this process would take some time.
“While the large numbers were dispersing, we have had to balance the safety of our officers and all those involved, as well as any risk to the local community and our road network during a busy bank holiday weekend.
“By the early hours of this morning, only a small proportion of individuals remained on site and the music had been turned off to minimise any further disruption to residents.
“Following assistance from our partner agencies, as well as officers from other South West police forces, we can now confirm that everyone left the site by around 2.30pm on Monday 29 May 2023.
The road to Wytch Farm oil field was closed and staffed by Dorset Council staff (Graham Hunt/BNPS)“Dorset Police will not tolerate unlicensed music events due to the increased risks and impact they have on our communities and those visiting the area.
“The distress and upset this has caused to residents and visitors is not underestimated and we will be carrying out an investigation to identify those responsible for organising unauthorised events such as these.
“I would like to send my thanks and appreciation to the local community for their patience while we took positive action to prevent any further disruption and safely dealt with this incident.”
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