Mid Wales landowners warned to be vigilant against illegal raves
Farmers and landowners in Mid Wales are being urged to be vigilant over the coming months for signs of illegal gatherings and raves planned on their land ahead of the summer.
Dyfed-Powys Police say that organisers of such illegal gatherings can easily spread the word of an event and see numbers attending quickly grow due to social networking.
According to the force, these events can cause "considerable anxiety" and if they are not dealt with swiftly, they are difficult to stop or otherwise control.
Chief Inspector Matt Scrase urged members of the public to be vigilant of people who approach landowners or enquire for land, in the guise of hiring for activities such as gymkhanas and scouts/guides events.
"There is little doubt that these type of events are very well planned, and that local knowledge is important in drawing down the main group to a particular 'vulnerable' field, or area of land which has been targeted previously as a suitable venue," he said.
"Farmers, landowners and local communities should report any suspicious activity immediately to the police, this may be an unusual numbers of vehicles, especially camper vans, vans or trucks in the locality, illegal trespassers who may be doing a 'recce' of sites in advance of the event.
He added: "I can assure local communities that police will take the appropriate action to deter illegal gatherings and deal robustly with any criminal offences."
