COVID-19: Two teenagers fined and man arrested at illegal rave
The teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were fined 拢1,000 each.
Sunday 27 December 2020 20:50, UK
Two teenagers have been issued fines of 拢1,000 and a man has been arrested after police were called to an illegal Boxing Day rave in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) received reports of a large gathering and loud music in empty flats in the Shudehill area of the city at around 4:20am on Sunday.
Officers attended an address on Hanover Street, where they dispersed a gathering of around 100 people and seized music equipment.
The teenage males that received £1,000 fines were aged 17 and 18.
A 27-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence, and he remains in custody for questioning. He was also given a fixed penalty notice of £200.
Police said that those at the rave were not just from Manchester, but from across the North West.
Chief Inspector Colin MacDiarmid, of the force's City of Manchester division, said: "There is no denying the blatant breach of COVID legislation that took place here last night, and enquiries are ongoing to ensure the organisers of this gathering are held accountable for their unacceptable actions.
"The majority of people in Manchester have made tremendously difficult sacrifices over the Christmas period and have complied with the rules that we all have to follow; however, it is the minority of people who attend events such as this that risk undoing the hard work of everyone else.
"It is clear that the people at this gathering weren't just people from Manchester but from across the North West, and it not only disregards the rules there to protect public health but also undermines the whole spirit of us all needing to be in this together to battle the ongoing risk of coronavirus.
"We have always, and continue to, operate by using the four Es of engaging, explaining, and encouraging the public to comply, but we will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those found to be responsible for blatant examples of flouting the rules such as this."