Rave hordes in 18-hour spree of destruction at former Royal Mail depot in central London



Smashing windows, swinging from ceiling beams and swaying drunkenly to the music, a thousand revellers take over a building in a city street for an illegal rave.

They broke into the eight-storey block to begin an 18-hour party that stretched into yesterday afternoon and left a trail of carnage in the surrounding streets.



At one stage in the early hours, dozens of riot police were forced to retreat as party-goers shouting, ‘We won’t go’ hurled bottles, bricks and road signs.

Nick or treat: Seven Halloween revellers were arrested during violent clashes with police at a suspected illegal rave in central London

Unrest: Police calmed the crowds of revellers as hoards of tourists flocked to the building to witness the suspected illegal rave

As the running battle escalated, officers were forced to let the crowds back into the former Royal Mail depot on New Oxford Street in London.

Gangs of youths spilled out on to the street outside lined with upmarket restaurants. Graffiti was sprayed, shop windows were smashed and cars vandalised, while revellers urinated on buildings and collapsed drunk. The music could be heard several streets away.

Eight were arrested for various disorder and drugs offences and three people were taken to hospital, including a police officer with a minor head injury.

Rave victory: Police are forced stand and watch as 600 hundred Halloween ravers continue partying inside the disused building

Violence: A youth in a hoodie with his face covered outside the illegal rave in High Holborn where seven people were arrested Stand off: Police kept watch on Museum Street as the rave, which saw several colleagues injured, continued through the night

One officer said yesterday: ‘We’re waiting for people to get tired and go home. We’ve been watching it all night and it’s bedlam inside. It’s absolutely disgusting in there.’

The party called was organised on Facebook by a group called ‘Scumoween’ and named ‘The Squat Monsters Ball’.

Revellers were told the date and given a mobile phone number to call on the night to find out the location.

Police were called at 11.20pm on Saturday by distressed local residents. A dozen police vans and a helicopter attended.

Anti-social: A raver balances over a ledge as he gestures at crowds gathered outside the Halloween rave Trouble: Roads around the suspected illegal rave have now been closed causing delays Packed in: Hundred of people crammed into the disused building in High Holborn for the rave which has been going on all night

Daniel, a 20-year-old student who had come from Manchester for the party, said: ‘There was a riot when the cops tried to close it down. They hit us with batons and used Taser guns. But we’ve carried on. People have come from Spain, and all over the world for this. It’s all free and we’re just enjoying ourselves. A lot of us are activists and anarchists who go to protests.’

The last contingent of ravers left at 4.15pm on Sunday, about 18 hours after the party started.

One organiser said: ‘There will be a big resurgence of this sort of thing because of the economic situation. It’s mirroring what happened in the last recession.’

The 300,000 sq ft former sorting office was sold off by Royal Mail more than a decade ago. It is now hired out for corporate events and fashion shows. The owners were not available for comment.

Police officers look on as people leave the rave in an abandoned building. Earlier in the night, three people were taken to hospital with injuries following clashes

Two men show the words 'Got LSD? Why not?' written on their knuckles after attending the rave

Noise control: The illegal rave - dubbed Scumo'ween- had 30 sound systems and 200 DJs playing throughout the night

The promoter said this was the first such event in central London for nine years, adding: 'There will be a big resurgence of this sort of thing because of the economic situation. It's mirroring what happened in the last recession'