FARMERS WARNED OF SUMMER RAVES

A RURAL leader has told of how East Anglian farmers are "bracing"
themselves for a spate of illegal raves on their land this summer.

Peter Hawes, chairman of the Essex branch of the National Farmers
Union (NFU), said members had been issued with a five-point plan to
help curb the illicit parties.

Mr Hawes made his comments as a local rave promoter who was trying to
run a legal event on a farm had his attempts blocked by the
authorities.

The Pulse-8 rave group, based in Colchester, met with officials
from the council, police and fire service earlier this week.

But the promoters were told they could not support the event and there
were concerns about noise pollution and health and safety fears.

Now Colchester Borough Council has threatened the organisers with a
High Court injunction preventing the rave from taking place on August
17.

Mr Hawes said: "We encourage our members to take the view that not
even legal raves should be held on farmland.

"The problem is you're opening up the floodgates. There is a big
problem with these illegal raves in Essex.

"We have had farmers wives and children terrified. The damage is
terrible.

"There is danger to livestock with all the drugs and needles left
around."

But yesterday Pulse-8 organiser Matt Moore said the group had tried to
co-operate as far as possible with the relevant bodies to run a legal
event.

"We wrote to the police and council letting them know we were planning
a rave on a field at a farm on the outskirts of Colchester on a
particular date."

A farmer had agreed Pulse-8 could hold the rave, but retracted his
permission following the views of the authorities, said Mr Moore.

Mr Moore said: "We offered them flexibility in almost every aspect of
the event and said we would not have convoys of cars going to it, and
use licensed doormen and first aiders on site and an amnesty bin for
drugs.

"Whilst we are prepared to negotiate on almost every aspect of the
event, it's important for us not to lose track of offering people a certain
type of dance event at a more than reasonable price.

"We appreciate it's a new thing for them and will be approached
with caution.

"Pulse-8 has made every effort possible to make this event safe and do
it in the right way while still keeping the spirit of such
events."

Pulse-8 have held four raves field and warehouses in Essex and Suffolk
over the last year, attracting more than 1,000 people.

Dave Barham, environmental health manager at Colchester Borough
Council, said: "The situation is that everything they have offered is
fine.

"But the main problem is the noise pollution and we know from
previous experiences we can get complaints up to six miles away.

"We haven't put any pressure on the farmer whatsoever. He did
initially say to them he was happy for it go to ahead providing there were no
objections by the authorities and obviously there are."

Mr Barham said the council's legal team was "pushing for" an
injunction to prevent the event from happening.

The council cannot licence outdoor events, but is considering adopting
legislation so such events can be licensed, he said.

Chief Inspector Iain Logan of Colchester police said: "They have
approached this in a constructive way.

"I hope the door is not closed. As it stands the council have provided
their advice and I hope that they (Pulse-8) will seriously look at this and
see what alternative proposals they could make."