Arrest follows rave attended by 150 people at Derbyshire quarry

An arrest was made after law enforcement received a “significant number” of reports concerning a rave held at a Derbyshire quarry. Officers were dispatched to Halldale Quarry in Matlock just before 23:40 GMT on Saturday. Derbyshire Police stated that an estimated 150 individuals were present when they arrived at the location at 02:00 on Sunday, but authorities “could not ensure the safety of removing those who were at the quarry”. Upon revisiting the site at 12:50 GMT on Sunday, the police force conducted stop checks on several vehicles and apprehended a 26-year-old man on suspicion of drug driving; he has since been released while investigations continue. Police also reported that a 30-year-old man was reported for summons after being discovered with a number of suspected drugs. After the force “ensured that all those in attendance left the site safely”, Detective Superintendent Sarah McAughtrie stated: “I appreciate the disruption and distress this event caused to the local community and I am grateful to all those who contacted us about it. I can also appreciate the frustration regarding how long the event was allowed to continue. However, as the senior officer in charge of the force over the weekend I have to balance the safety of officers, and those who are in attendance. To have large numbers of people, who may be drunk or have taken drugs, moving around in the dark presents significant risks to them – as well as the police officers on site. As a county we have seen a drop off in the number of these types of events and we rely on local people reporting when potential raves are being set up, so that we can ensure that officers are able to stop them before they begin.”