Officers on scene at suspected 'illegal rave' near Selby

Police officers are in attendance following reports of an 'illegal rave' involving loud music, drug use and disorder in the Stillingfleet area overnight.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: "Events such as these cause huge distress and disruption to the local community, and also put attendees themselves at risk.

"Significant number of officers are deploying to the scene, including police drone pilots. Any illegal activity identified will be dealt with robustly.

"We're grateful to local residents for their patience while we work to resolve this incident."

Update 5pm, 7 May:

North Yorkshire Police have made a number of arrests in connection with an unlicensed music event in Stillingfleet.

This afternoon, people suspected of being involved in the organisation of the event were arrested and taken into custody. At this time, six people have been arrested.

Officers have also seized several vans full of music equipment, and removed them to a secure location. Police enquiries are ongoing.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: “The impact on the local community and the risk to those present due to the derelict nature of the site were clearly unacceptable. While this was a challenging incident to deal with – not least because of the sheer volume of people in attendance – we’re extremely grateful to local residents for their patience.

“The local Neighbourhood Policing Team will be visible in the area in the coming days, to provide reassurance to the local community and ensure there is no further disruption.”

Update 9 May:

A total of nine suspects, all men aged in their 20s and 30s, were arrested in connection with this incident.

They have been released on bail while police enquiries continue.