Event organiser fined £10,000 for illegal London rave during lockdown

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to break new and horrific records every day, with almost 100,000 dead and nearly 40,000 currently in hospital, it seems some people aren’t quite understanding the severity of the situation. Despite the awful stats and the fact the UK is now once again in full-lockdown as the NHS nears (and in some areas exceeds) capacity, illegal raves remain an issue, with one recent event organiser being handed a £10,000 fine and multiple others issues with £200 fines after such a gathering was raided by police in London.

As well as being dim enough to organise such an event in the first place, the event organiser wasn’t exactly bright in choosing a venue either. Locals were first alerted after noticing loud music emanating from an empty shop on Edgware Road in the Paddington area of London, on Sunday evening. Council officers were alerted after nearby residents reporting music “blaring” from the premises, and on attendance, the police found more than 150 in the basement, with zero social distancing in place. Equipment was seized, and fines were issued to the organiser and attendees. As a further kick in the teeth for those who work in the NHS or have loved ones who have died from Covid, it apparently wasn’t the first offence for the unnamed event organiser, who has believed to have organised similar events before according to the BBC.

Meanwhile there is a continuingly brightening light at the end of the tunnel for those who wish to rave properly, with the UK now third only to Israel and the UAE in their vaccination rate, with the number of vaccines now standing at 300,000 per day, a figure that is expected to rise up to 500,000 per day, or 3.5 million per week, within a week or two. Depending on continued supply, this means it looks more likely than ever that the vast majority of UK adults will receive at least their first dose by spring, meaning a return to normality for summer is looking good.

Image Credit: donterase from Pixabay