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

Ravers left Bickershaw country park in an horrendous condition after leaving behind mounds of litter and even human waste last month.

There have also been several other large scale illegal gatherings across Greater Manchester recently including in Trafford and Oldham.

Disgusted police have described the events as "reckless" and have now put a dispersal notice in place to prevent this from happening again in Wigan and Leigh over the weekend. There will be a particular forcus on Bickershaw Country Park with police able to turn away all non-residents from the area.

In a statement, GMP Wigan said: "These are recklessly organised events that have shown no regard to the safety of the people who have attended or to the upset that has been caused to the local communities.

"As a result of the ongoing police response to these incidents, a Dispersal Notice and significant police resources are in place to prevent any events of this type taking place in the Wigan and Leigh areas over this weekend, and specifically to prevent any further such event in Bickershaw Country Park.

"Police will have the authority to turn away all none residents from the area.

It comes after controversy over the police's repsonse to the rave at the park which saw empty nitrous oxide (laughing gas) canisters, litter and sanitary products among the mess left behind by those who attended.

Even human waste was discovered at the site, 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".

Anyone with information in relation to any potential illegal gatherings should contact the policing teams on the 101 service or via crime stoppers online or call 0800 555 111.