A controversial rave, which the police and council tried to prevent, went ahead at the weekend.

But the late night party on Saturday petered out after a couple of hours because police had warned those en-route to stay away.

Last week, Colchester Council launched a High Court bid to stop the rave, after organisers Pulse 8 said they wanted to hold it at a farm in Copford.

But the court battle was called off when Pulse 8 said they would hold it somewhere else in the Colchester area no matter what.

So on Saturday night, police and Colchester Council officials had been on guard to stop the rave, if it took place, over fears of noise and disturbance to local residents.

But the group behind the event moved it to disused Catley's Farm in Bures, on the Essex/Suffolk border, before police managed to find the location and stop it.

Party-goers met at the Tesco car park in Ipswich before text messages to mobile phones revealed the rave's location.

After officers had reports of noise and vehicles blocking roads near Bures, they took action.

Two hundred people found at a disused barn near the village were told to leave and officers managed to clear the site shortly before 5am on Sunday. There were no arrests.

Published Monday August 19, 2002

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