Woodland bosses slam ‘deeply selfish’ ravers who partied in Thetford Forest

Police at the scene of an illegal rave in Thetford Forest. Picture submitted. (Image: Archant)

The “deeply selfish” actions of ravers who partied in Thetford Forest have been slammed by the organisation responsible for its management.

Forest England East has condemned the organisers and party-goers who “put a significant number of people and its own staff at risk” over the weekend.

PIles of rubbish after an illegal rave in Thetford Forest on bank holiday weekend. Picture: Forestry England (Image: Archant)

The unlicensed music event at off the A134 at Lynford, near English Heritage site Grime’s Graves, was eventually shut down by police on Sunday evening - almost 24 hours after it began.

Officers subsequently seized sound equipment and handed £100 fines to five people who refused to leave the area. Two people thought to be involved in organising the rave are yet to be traced.

Ravers at the illegal event in Thetford Forest. Picture: Josh Carvell (Image: Archant)

Alex Brearley, forest management director for Forest England East, said: “These events cause significant disturbance to the local community, neighbours and staff, and have a devastating environmental impact on this internationally sensitive site.

“I would like to thank the police for taking control and closing it down.

“Forestry England will continue to work closely with the police and relevant authorities across the east of England in preventing future illegal raves and other anti-social behaviour in our woodlands.”

Repairs are meanwhile under way to secure gateways and barriers broken by those who attended the event.

The cost of clearing huge volumes of waste left at events such as the Thetford Forest rave, including drug paraphernalia, is more than £100,000 every year.

Thetford Forest is regarded as a internationally significant site of biodiversity, meaning illegal gatherings can have a damaging effect on flora, fauna and some species of wildlife.

Anyone who sees or suspects illegal activity on the Forestry England estate is encouraged to call police.