U.K. authorities have apprehended three men on suspicion of conspiring to cause a public nuisance. The disturbance in question was last month’s illegal Somerset rave, dubbed Scummerset, which drew 3,000 revelers in spite of COVID-19 restrictions.
The three men arrested on August 5th, 2020 were aged 22, 23, and 26, respectively. According to a Somerset Police statement, they are being held for questioning.
Scummerset had taken place close to Charmy Down RAF airfield near Bath on July 17th. Police reported being powerless to do anything due to the high volume of attendees. “We don’t have a standing army waiting to deal with these issues,” said Chief Superintendant Ian Wylie.
The incident is part of a surge of illegal U.K. raves stemming from nightlife bans imposed by COVID-19 lockdowns. Lawmakers aimed to ease event bans on August 1st – but last week, Boris Johnson announced that indoor gatherings would not be permitted to return until August 15th at the earliest.
It remains to be seen whether more Scummerset organizers will be arrested in the days to follow.
Image credit: Yvette de Witte
