Police brought a halt to an illegal rave in a Powys quarry last weekend, that was attended by around 400 people.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police were called to the quarry of Halfway Forestry, Llandovery, during the early hours of Sunday morning, after concerned residents of the area reported a possible rave.

The police found large amounts of people, approximately 300-400, had travelled to the site which is located within the Natural Resources Wales Forestry.

Dyfed-Powys Police said that attendees had travelled from as far as Devon to attend the rave and its location was disclosed last minute on social media, in an attempt to prevent law enforcement from shutting it down.

During the early hours of Sunday morning an authority under Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 was granted by the duty Chief Superintendent. This allowed Dyfed-Powys Police officers to set up vehicle check points within a 5 mile radius of the scene in accordance with Section 65 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

The force said that safety considerations surrounding breaking up the event were paramount, and a policy of containment and disrupting any further vehicles and people entering was instigated overnight.

Officers arrested a 22-year-old man for failing a drug swipe as he was trying to enter the site.

By 6:30pm, it was confirmed that all vehicles and those attending the rave had left the site peacefully. Police remained in the area into Sunday evening to ensure it was safe and to end the unlawful gathering in a peaceful manner.

Officers also remained at the site and in the area to engage with the local community and provide reassurance.

Inspector Dawn Fencott-Price said: “Once again I’d like to thank the local community for alerting us to this gathering in the early hours of this morning, allowing us to take a practical and safe approach to dealing with it. You are our eyes and ears, and I would urge anyone with concerns or suspicions about such gatherings in future to contact us with information.

“We know raves can cause anxiety to the community they are held in, and if not dealt with swiftly are difficult to stop due to the sheer numbers of people involved. Considerable time and money is often needed to clean up afterwards too.”

The police have issued a reminder of certain types of suspicious behaviour that are worth being aware of:

• Unusual numbers of vehicles, especially camper vans, vans or trucks, seen in the locality.

• Illegal trespassers may recce sites in advance of any rave

• People may approach landowners and ask around for land, in the guise of hiring it for acceptable activities such as gymkhanas or scout camps.

• If you suspect anyone who approaches you for land hire might not be who they say they are, please do not hesitate to contact police.

• Social networks make it easier for organisers to spread the word – rave attendance numbers can grow hugely in short spaces of time, and locations can change quickly.

If you see or experience any of these please contact the police either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.