A Braintree farmer has called for a change in the law after police refused to stop an all-night rave on his land.

Robert Bucknell watched helplessly as the partygoers took over a former turkey packing shed on Onchors Farm, at Blake End, Great Saling, ignoring his pleas for them to leave.

"I saw some lights and I got there ahead of the queue of people walking over my land to the barn," he said. "The sound gear had already been moved in, but I got there in time to ask the partygoers to stop. They took no notice and just walked round me.

"I called the police, but all they said was that they needed more officers than they could assemble at that time. Some officers did turn up and they told the partygoers to leave.

"They were ignored too. Most parked their cars on the road and just walked round the police. It was like cloud cuckoo land."

Although the empty barn was not locked, Mr Bucknell suggested that the police arrest the intruders for entering his building, but the police said they would not know which one broke in. They could not arrest them all.

"I understand the police have to work within the law, but I have asked for a meeting with senior officers to talk it through and see what measures can be taken to stop it happening again or to save it happening to someone else. We shall try to get some sense out of somebody."

"With foot and mouth around, and people trespassing without taking any notice of anybody, it's not ideal. I feel the law has to be changed. At the moment, you have to prove criminal damage before you are able to do anything.''

Although the barn was not damaged. Mr Bucknell said a compressor was missing. It was later recovered from Thetford in Norfolk.

Several hundred ravers, who paid £2 to get in, spent until 8.30am in the building before leaving.

Police kept the farm under observation most of the night. Chief Inspector Craig Robertson said the situation was very difficult. "The law referring to raves only applies if they are held in the open air. If the only offence the ravers are committing is a civil trespass, it is the landowner's responsibility to ask them to leave.

''The police do not remove civil trespassers. We are not there to evict people. Even touching someone without a legal reason can result in an assault charge. If the ravers refuse to go, I'm afraid you have a problem."

Unfortunately, the organisers usually knew the law, he said. If they cut through a lock, they would replace it with a new one so they could not be accused of causing malicious damage. But there was a ray of hope at the moment, he added.

If anyone went onto land which was restricted by the foot and mouth restrictions, they were liable to a £5,000 fine. "People think we should just throw people off, but if we act illegally, being a police officer is no protection.

''If a police officer misinterprets the law, they are likely to get a writ slapped on them. This is a very lititigious society."

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