POLICE officers say they have shut down an illegal rave in near the Monmouthshire border.

West Mercia Police said it received a report of a "large gathering and loud music" from a member of the public.

When officers arrived, they found an "unlicensed music event" just outside the village of Ganarew, between Monmouth and Ross.

Police officers spoke to organisers at the scene and used powers under section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to ensure nobody else was able to attend.

The event was then dispersed peacefully and safely on Sunday, July 17. The Argus' sister paper the Hereford Times asked police for comment the same day, but a reply was not received until Friday.

But Chief Inspector Ross Jones has since scolded organisers, saying events like this are illegal and dangerous.

“Our main priority is, and always will be, the safety of our local communities," he said.

"With that in mind, we won’t hesitate to use the powers available to us, as we did at the weekend, to disperse such events.

“You might wonder why we want to stop people who ‘just want to have fun’.

"The answer is that not only are unlicensed music events illegal but most importantly they are not safe."

He said licenced events have rigorous safety and security checks, such as crowd management measures and pre-planned routes for emergency services.

"There is absolutely no doubt that this planning and preparation saves lives and it simply doesn’t happen with unlicensed events," he said.

“As well as a significant safety issue these events can also be hugely disruptive to the local community and can be costly for the landowners if their sites have been broken onto.

He urged locals to keep an eye out for the signs of illegal raves, such as large groups of people gathering in unusual locations, promotion on social media, and vans and cars unloading music equipment and generators in unusual locations such as remote rural areas, disused quarries or industrial buildings.

He also said landowners may notice signs such as cropped bolts on gates, damaged fencing, flattened or disturbed hedgerows, people in vehicles stopping to look into a field and vehicles entering fields or open spaces.

“It is easier for us to deal with these unlicensed events by intervening early," he said.

"If you think one is being planned near you, please report it as soon as possible.”