NFU ANGER AT BARN RAVE INCIDENT

THE National Farmers' Union has pledged to investigate an incident
when a landowner was arrested by police while trying to prevent a rave
in one of his barns.

Police said Graeme Stephen, from near Great Dunmow, Essex, was
arrested during an alleged confrontation with ravers. He was later
released without charge.

An NFU spokeswoman said: "Where farmers are suffering from illegal
raves or from similar situations we would urge the police to
effectively police these events, using the 1994 Criminal Justice and
Police Act.

"On the face of it, as the facts have been reported, it would seem an
extraordinary way to deal with the situation and we will want to
investigate the incident closely."

An Essex Police spokesman said police found up to 70 ravers in the
barn at midnight on Boxing Day being "confronted verbally by the barn
owner".

Mr Stephen was taken to a police station and later released without
charge, said the spokesman.

He turned off a generator being used to power the event.

The 40-year-old landowner said the ravers had broken through a
padlocked gate and the barn locks.

In reply to the NFU's criticism, Essex Police said: "The act only
applies to raves held in the open air. This one was held in a barn.
The strength of the police action is purely dependent on the strength
of the relevant legislation. We can only act within the law.

"We have every sympathy - no-one has the moral right to invade someone
else's property."

He said such situations hold complications as trespass is civil not a
criminal matters, and issues of alcohol and fire risk are dealt with
by local authorities.

The NFU spokeswoman said: "It is incredibly frustrating and
distressing for anyone to have to stand by and watch their property
being wrecked with no power to prevent it.

"There clearly needs to be a more robust approach to crimes like these
from not only the police but the criminal justice system in general."

An organiser of the 'Livewire' rave, who did not wish to be named,
said: "We have looked many times into hiring out clubs in the areas
but there aren't any unless you want to pay a lot of money and charge
people more than a pound entry.

"None of our organisers and DJs get any money, we do not make any
money. If the council were to give us a barn out of the way to use we
would use it, we would even go as far as to pay for it."

The man, who has been organising raves in Essex for five years, said
the venue was cleared up when the rave ended at 9am. He said no
padlocks were broken to gain entry to the land or barn.

The police spokesman said the barn was not damaged during the
rave.