How to prevent illegal parties and events in warehouses and industrial buildings

One growing threat, particularly over the summer months, for businesses across the UK is the resurgence of unlicensed musical events in unoccupied buildings. Known as ‘raves’ or ‘free parties’ these events take place throughout the country in buildings which are typically left empty, are fairly isolated and are easy to gain access to.

Organisers of the events are known to scout for suitable locations which are normally large buildings such as warehouses or industrial premises. These types of buildings usually have access to resources such as electricity, are large enough to hold big groups of people and are isolated enough so as not to draw too much attention. However, while holding these types of events away from the public may mean that there is less noise pollution, the consequences of these events for the owners and tenants of these buildings remain serious.

A recent example of this occurred in Swanley, Kent where 500 people entered an industrial unit in Marks Way, without the consent of the owner. While police were called to attend at around midnight and attendees fled the scene, the aftermath of the event caused over £30,000 worth of damage to what was a brand-new recently refurbished warehouse.

A rave at a warehouse in Croydon attracted over 3,000 young people to an empty unit at Beddington Industrial Estate which was due to be taken up by a new tenant just weeks after the event took place and caused thousands of pounds in damage.

Like many of these events, organisers asked those interested to register their details secretly online before releasing details of the location at the last minute. Typically, locations are sourced at the last minute as organisers scout around for buildings which are deemed to be isolated, with electricity and are easy to access.

In order for businesses and owners to protect their premises it is important that they make their properties as secure as possible and as unattractive to criminals as they can. This means turning off amenities like electricity and water when buildings are left empty but also making their buildings difficult to access by installing strong forms of perimeter security such as gates and barriers. If you already have these installed, then it is important to make sure that they are maintained to a high standard so that they are still effective in preventing trespass.

Gateway Automation provide a range of products to help businesses and individuals to secure their sites and also provide nationwide servicing and repairs to gates, barriers and other perimeter security equipment. To find out more, please call us on 01522 682255.