Police issue statement on why they didn't stop rave at borough beauty spot

Empty nitrous oxide (laughing gas) canisters, litter and sanitary products were among the mess left behind by those who attended a rave at Fir Tree Flash on Saturday May 30.

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".

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.

"However, it was deemed that because the group were acting peacefully and not in the vicinity of people’s houses, any other resources should continue to be deployed to separate incidents where there was a more serious risk posed to the wider public. I think it’s important that the public know that demand across Wigan and neighbouring districts has been particularly high over the weekend, with our overall demand matching that of what we would expect to see on a typical New Year’s Eve.

“This continues to be a hugely challenging time for policing and we will continue to do everything we can, alongside our partners and communities, to keep the people of Greater Manchester safe and provide the best service we can to those who need us most.”

A statement on the GMP Leigh, Atherton & Hindley Facebook page said: "Neighbourhood officers from Abram and Leigh have been made aware of a rave that occurred on Bickershaw Country Park last night.

"The site has been left in a disgusting state with thousands of empty canisters, bottles, bags and other litter that volunteers have had to recover and remove. To add to this unpleasantness they have also discovered a quantity of human waste and used sanitary products.

"The scale of the aftermath is quite extensive and reports confirm this was attended by a very large group of people. There is a pandemic on! Enquiries ongoing #TeamAbram #TeamLeigh".

A message from the Editorial Director, Gillian Parkinson:

Thank you for reading this story on our website.

But I also have an urgent plea to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy when you pop out for your essential shop or subscribing for delivery.

Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves.

As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: "Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role."

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days.

We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE:

You can subscribe for delivery by contacting us at [email protected] or calling us on 0330 4033004 for details of a participating newsagent near you.