By James Simons-
A DJ has been fined £10,000 fine, and 70 others were fined £200 each, after being caught ting an illegal rave
Officers were tipped about the illegal gathering over the weekend, but were pelted with bottles as clubbers tried to break out of the Birmingham building and were seen fleeing via the roof. Many of the revellers had arrived at the venue by cabs that dropped them off, others drove there.
The DJ faces a £10,000 fine, and 70 others were fined £200 each. The gathering of people is a clear sign of some of the defiance in some communities about lockdown measures, particularly those who are entirely sceptical of the scale of the virus altogether. Gatherings like these, many of which take place in smaller numbers, are believed to have played a large role in spreading infections across the UK.
That same night, 13 people were found in a workshop that had been turned into a bar nicknamed “The Covid Arms”.
Officers used their discretion to allow the dozen people in there to leave, but the owner was issued with a £1,000 fine, the force said.
In Birmingham, police said taxis were seen dropping people off at the building on Buckingham Street in the Jewellery Quarter and when officers went inside they found crowds filling two floors, a bar and VIP area.
A search of the premises led to officers also finding a recording studio and gym.
Thermal imaging from police drones captured people trying to escape by the roof in the early hours of Sunday.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd said people must remember lockdown continues and Covid-19 is still a threat to communities.
“Our officers continue to work long and hard to protect the public and reduce the spread of this deadly virus by breaking up these gatherings, often in really difficult circumstances.
“It’s unacceptable that our officers came under attack, and that one suffered a minor injury, just for doing their job and enforcing laws that are in place to keep us all safe.”