Three injured after hundreds break lockdown for illegal rave in woods
Three people were injured on Friday night after hundreds attended an illegal rave in a forest near Liverpool in breach of the coronavirus lockdown rules.
Police said they turned away around 200 people on foot and on car as revellers descended on the woodland near Kirkby and Rainford, Merseyside.
Three were treated in hospital for burns and broken bones after the gathering, which police said had put “the community at significant risk”.
Ngaire Waine, the chief superintendent of Merseyside Police, told the Liverpool Echo: “All those attending have put themselves and others in the community at significant risk.
“Not only have they risked catching and spreading the coronavirus, but due to the numbers of people consuming of drugs and alcohol in dark woods, somebody could have quite easily got seriously hurt or worse.”
Waine said one male sustained a broken leg, one female a broken ankle and another female suffered burns to her legs.
She added that some attendees told officers they were protesting against the lockdown “in order to make a vain attempt to legitimise their attendance at the rave”.
Four men were arrested on public order offences at around 5.30am after officers spotted them attempting to pack up DJ equipment.
Twelve others were spoken to by police for drug offences and 15 were handed fines for breaking the coronavirus lockdown rules.
Footage posted on social media showed hundreds dancing to electronic music in the early hours of the morning.
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