Bristol rave: Second man fined £10k for part in illegal rave

A second organiser of a rave which attracted a crowd of 700 people has been fined £10,000 for breaching coronavirus restrictions.

The Halloween event in a warehouse in Yate, near Bristol, turned violent when police tried to disperse the crowd.

Police said they prevented several hundred getting to the event by closing nearby roads.

The man who was fined is aged in his 20s, and is the second to face the £10,000 punishment.

Another man in his 30s was also fined after he tried to take away some of the sound equipment after the event.

Both men, who were identified the organisers, have been given the maximum fine possible under coronavirus laws.

Police who tried to shut down the event were pelted with missiles including bottles, with some officers suffering minor injuries.

Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Andy Marsh said the people running the rave had acted "criminally and disgracefully".

"It is hard to adequately explain how reckless it was to organise an unlicensed music event during the midst of a pandemic that has claimed so many lives," he said.

"We are facing a moment in this pandemic when scientists and medics and warning of the grave risks and consequences of not controlling the virus.

"Yet those involved in this event acted with no thought for anyone other than themselves.

"It was deliberately organised in secret with complete disregard to the current situation the country is facing at the moment."

Twelve people in total have been arrested for their part in the event.