DJ Killa completed his set at Beats on the Beach on Saturday, but when police stopped the event two hours early, a number of other acts were left disappointed. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0608116)
A BEACH party at Pembroke on Saturday attended by 600 people was ended early by police.
Beats on the Beach organiser James Turner, of Street Academy, was angered by their action. He said he was told he needed a licence. Inspector Terry Coule said that officers attended initially to make arrests.
‘We did attend as a response to a number of offences being committed by people at the event. Therefore, it was decided to take precautionary action to reduce the effect on the community.’
Inspector Coule said he was unable to comment further as several matters had been reported. Mr Turner, the winner of the Bright Young Things competition, said that the party had been organised as a way of getting the academy’s name better known.
The free event featured local acts such as Gezzie and Asylum Seekas.
He was disappointed at the police move as only one person was thought to have caused trouble. He was arrested for alleged disorderly behaviour.
‘No one saw the incident and it wasn’t on the property.
‘I couldn’t believe it. First they were having a dig at the number of young people there. But the owner of the Mirage said he had a family licence.
‘Then they told us we needed a licence so we said we would take the music inside and open the doors for people to dance outside. Then they said we needed a licence to dance. They had nothing, but they were coming up with all these things.’
Mr Turner said he had been worried about licences so had phoned the police beforehand.
He was told that all he would need was an alcohol licence, which the Mirage had. The person he spoke to said that there was nothing that officers would be able to do as it was on private land.
‘It was stupid and there was nothing we could do. There were 600 people there and it just cut out. You wouldn’t shut down a nightclub if there was a fight.’
He said he was glad that some acts had had a chance to play, but was disappointed that he was unable to play a set as he was due on later in the evening.
He was annoyed that the police hadn’t said anything beforehand as the event had been publicised in Friday’s Guernsey Press.
‘It has put me off. But a lot of people said that I shouldn’t let it as it was an awesome day.’
Article posted on 21st July, 2008 - 2.29pm
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5 Article Comments
out of 600 hundred people only one person was arrested, i think thats amazing.
the only fights i saw was once the police got there and stopped the music.
then they walked around doing nothing about the underage drinkin, which i thought was the main problem.
It was an awessome night until the police turned up and ruined it.
This whole organzation was to give people something to do …. i was having such an amazing time until the police came and ruined it for some petite excuse, it ridicoulous these days we can never have a bit of fun without them interferring!
PARTY POOPERS! HAHA
Bad Boys Bad Boys what you gonna do
what you gonna do when they come for you?
I agree, it was a great party until the police shut it down.
The organisers had checked with the police too - it seems their mistake was they only asked verbally and not in writing. The police could have used their discretion to allow it to continue - at least until 10pm.
Such a shame that it all ended so suddenly and left a large crowd stranded in the dark - add to that a few silly alcohol fuelled people and what was a great evening turned into chaos.
Police bullying again - anyone having a good time is too much for this miserable lot.
The Police excuse of “a precautionary action to reduce the effect on the community” is utter tosh. They should be arrested for falsifying evidence and showing contempt for the innocent until proven guilty principle. There was NO danger to ‘the community’.
We had the police use a similar trick of licenses for a rugby do held in a field for over a decade which they attempted to shut down in the middle of the evening. Why don’t they just buzz off and solve some crime and let people have some perfectly legal harmless fun.
Party Poopers.