POLICE are set to use equipment seized from a rave in the village of Ramsholt, near Woodbridge.

Richard Smith

WHEN police finally ended a three-day rave in Suffolk they naturally seized equipment which had caused so much misery for hundreds of villagers.

Revellers had caused a noisy disturbance when they invaded the tiny village of Ramsholt, near Woodbridge, and set up camp for three days over the August Bank Holiday weekend in 2005.

The rave ended in violence with police officers being pelted by stones and bottles by a hostile crowd and police cars were damaged.

Suffolk police took hold of equipment, which included a mobile generator worth £8,000 - and now the generator looks set to be used to power mobile police stations and create an operating site in remote areas.

Chief Constable Simon Ash says in a report going to the Police Authority on Friday: “Operation Garm was mounted to deal with an illegal rave that took place at Ramsholt, Suffolk, between Saturday 27 and Monday 29 August 2005.

“A large quantity of property was seized as a result and was subsequently made subject to a Deprivation Order.

“The effect of this order is to deprive the defendant of his/her rights in the property, which then enables it (if not already in their possession) to be taken into the possession of the Suffolk Constabulary.

“The seized property included a mobile generator mounted on its own two-axle trailer, a box of wires and heavy-duty socket points.

“The majority of other property seized as a result of Operation Garm, including sound equipment, has since been destroyed with the exception of the generator, trailer, and electrical cables and switches.

“The generator is able to provide cover for 14 of our 18 sites that have generators so that we can keep them operational if we have any major problems with power loss at those sites.

“These sites are key within the constabulary as they are either sites with custody suites or they are our radio masts.”

It will cost £1,280 to refurbish the generator and £1,000 for the trailer. Annual servicing of the generator would be £225 for two visits.

The generator would be stored in the police vehicle compound at Woodbridge Airfield.

Members of Suffolk Police Authority will decide on Friday whether to give the go-ahead to the plan for the generator.