Members of a conservation group supporting a 500-year-old church that was trashed during an illegal rave on New Year’s Eve say they have been “blown away” after receiving more than £22,000 in donations to help with repairs.
Hundreds of party-goers attended the event at Grade II listed All Saints Church in East Horndon, Essex, and three people were arrested.
Essex Police said organisers set up DJ decks, a bar, and even hired portable toilets for revellers.
All Saints in East Horndon (Friends of All Saints East Horndon/PA)
Volunteers said the ravers smashed a window, wired sound equipment into the church’s fuse box and churned up the ground outside with vans, causing around £1,000 of damage.
RECKLESS revellers trashed a 500-year-old church during an illegal New Year s Eve rave.
They were among thousands slammed last night by Home Secretary Priti Patel for putting lives at risk by flouting Covid rules.
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The parties came as coronavirus cases continued to spike
Vile yobs targeted cops who tried to break up their party at the disused All Saints Church near Basildon, Essex.
They launched drinks and ice cubes at officers, told them to f off and chanted as they caused £1,000 in damage.
The yobs barricaded a door to stop cops from getting in while music blared.
Police are trying to identify a reckless rave host whose unlicensed New Year s Eve party saw hundreds of revellers trash a 500-year-old church in Essex.
Members of the conservation group that supports All Saints Church in East Horndon - a Grade II-listed building - said they are devastated by the damage caused and estimate repairs could cost more than £1,000.
Organisers of the event set up a bar and DJ decks inside the church and hired Portaloos for partygoers.
Officers had objects thrown at them and were threatened as they dealt with the incident at the disused church - which led to three people being arrested on suspicion of drugs and public order offences.
By Press Association 2021
Police at the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus in London
Police officers on the beat had little respite from the usual chaos of New Year’s Eve in England’s biggest cities despite most of the country being under the highest level of Covid-19 restrictions.
One Metropolitan Police officer working in east London joked: “When it comes to New Year’s Eve, it’s always like the gates of hell opening. It’s apocalyptic.”
He added: “If you think of anything and everything that could happen, it happens on New Year’s Eve.”
Teams in the east London area were called to multiple road traffic collisions after revellers decided to drive rather than risk being caught out and about on public transport or in a taxi.