Man charged with organising an illegal gathering in Slamannan

A 29-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with organising an illegal gathering at a derelict farm in Slamannan on Saturday, 7 November, 2020.

Chief Inspector Chris Stewart, Local Area Commander for Falkirk said :

“We received information that a large number of people were being dropped off at the location and starting to gather.  Officers were in attendance quickly and established that a number of people were there for an organised ‘rave’. 

“Through our enquiries it is understood that up to 200 people were due to attend, however due to the intervention by officers it was quickly disrupted and did not take place.

"Those in attendance were dispersed and left the area without any issues.   Officers charged the man with culpable and reckless conduct due to his part in organising the event.  He will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

“Officers also recovered approximately £16,000 worth of drugs from the site, our assessment is that these drugs would have been sold at the event.

"Our enquiries continue in an effort to identify others who may have been involved in organising the event.

“This is a blatant disregard for the law and this type of behaviour is a risk to public health.  We will continue to use enforcement action where it is necessary to disperse large groups of people and to protect the public.

"The Chief Constable has made it clear that we are asking people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing and remember the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to stay safe, protect others and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading.”