High policing wasn't necessary

Recently I was invited to a birthday party at Lower Down, near Bishop's Castle. On arrival, at about 9.15pm, I was surprised to be stopped by two members of West Mercia constabulary blocking the access to my friend's property.

They took the registration of my Land Rover and then asked my name.

Twenty minutes later, at the party itself, which was being held in an outbuilding surrounded by tarpaulins, the party host appeared in his Land Rover with a police officer beside him.

This officer proceeded to shine a powerful torch around the various groups already gathered.

I was told the police believed this perfectly reasonable gathering was an illegal rave.

This was further confirmed by the fact that an extremely expensive police helicopter had spent at least 30 minutes flying round my friend's home earlier in the day.

By the time I left the two original police cars were joined by two patrol cars.

I now know that at 1am there was one patrol car stopping and questioning drivers in Brockton, one patrol car similarly occupied in Clunton, a van full of police officers and a sergeant present.

The police presence was still there at 8am. There was no trouble at all at the party except for the feeling that a serious waste of police time and rate payers' money was aimed at stopping certain people (the young, alternative crowd) peaceably enjoying themselves.

R Sidebottom, Bishop's Castle