Coronavirus: Illegal lockdown rave held with marquee and bunting

A two-night illegal rave held during the coronavirus lockdown is being investigated by police.

Merseyside Police said two people were seriously assaulted during the event in in Knowsley on Monday and Tuesday.

The woodland gathering involved drug use and broke social distancing rules, putting people at "significant risk", the force said.

Photographs showed litter strewn across the site, where organisers had even put up a marquee and bunting.

Police are investigating how the event came to be planned, and also the circumstances of the attacks.

It happened in a wooded area near the M57 motorway bridge on Liverpool Road in Huyton.

On the second night "a number of males" were arrested for drugs offences, police said.

Chief Inspector Phil Mullally said: "This is a concerning event and those attending have put themselves and others in the community at significant risk, not only in relation to coronavirus, but also by taking illegal substances and being in close range of the motorway.

"Government guidance still states that we must all be social distancing, only meeting in groups of six at most, and continuing to act sensibly and safely, none of which was adhered to during this illegal gathering.

"We, like all key workers, are already facing a huge demand and having to deal with these sorts of unnecessary incidents puts extra strain on both police and partnership resources."