Police deploy 'significant resources' to prevent repeat of rave at Wigan beauty spot

Ravers left Bickershaw country park in an horrendous condition after leaving behind mounds of litter and even human waste on Saturday May 30.

Empty nitrous oxide (laughing gas) canisters, litter and sanitary products were among the mess left behind by those who attended the illegal gathering.

Even human waste was discovered at the site, disgusted officers revealed.

The force said that several calls were made about the rave from members of the public and that officers attended the scene and spoke to some of the people there. They encouraged the revellers to leave the scene and explained the current Covid-19 lockdown regulations, but officers took no action to shut down the event because it posed no direct threat to the wider public, and also because the attendees were "acting peacefully".

The police response sparked frustration and anger from many residents, and the force was granted the resources to prevent further large scale events from happening on the public land last weekend.

A statement from an officer on GMP's Leigh, Atherton and Hindley social media channels read: "Over the weekend Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June 2020 a dispersal order was authorised by Greater Manchester Police and in place for the Area encompassing Bickershaw Country Park and surrounding access roads.

"This was in response to the outdoor gathering that was attended by a significant amount of people on the previous weekend, Saturday 30th May 2020.

"Significant resources were deployed by local police teams to the area to prevent a recurrence of this behaviour and to support residents in our local communities.

"I am pleased to say that this passed without incident.

"I would like to that our partners in Wigan and Leigh council who helped in this operation who in large numbers volunteered there services on their days off to assist and support our local communities.

"If anyone has any information that this type of event may be taking place in the future please do not hesitate to let us know as this will allow the police and partner agencies adequate time to prepare an appropriate response. - Sgt A#TeamAbram #TeamLeigh #TeamHindley."

Last week, Chief Inspector Steph Parker said: “At around 5.20pm on Saturday 30 May 2020 we received a report of a gathering in woodland in Leigh.

“Officers assessed and closely monitored the situation, continuing to review similar reports to police throughout the evening.

“We absolutely appreciate that members of the community may have concerns due to the current COVID-19 climate, but ultimately we have to make difficult decisions about our response to incidents based on the threat, harm and risk posed to the public. This ensures that the right service is provided to those who need it most.

“In this instance, we attended the scene and engaged with some of the youths, explaining the current circumstances and encouraging them to do the right thing.