REVELLERS set to attend an unlicensed music event were warned to stay at home after police shut it down before it even started.

Northumbria Police revealed the suspected rave, planned for a disused building in Northumberland on Saturday tonight, was stopped in its tracks.

Officers received reports that the event was to be held in countryside close to the Northumberland/Durham county boundary, near Consett.

Police deployed to the area were able to intervene as organisers arrived at the building to set up the music equipment.

A number of arrests were made and equipment was seized.

Those detained in the raid remained in police custody today.

It led police to warn revellers who planned to attend the suspected rave that they faced being reported for coronavirus breaches if they visited the area.

Chief Inspector Steve Readdie, of Northumbria Police, said: “Holding an event of this nature in the midst of a pandemic is irresponsible and completely unacceptable.

“It dramatically increases the chances of the virus spreading and undermines all of the hard work being done by the wider community to keep one another safe.

“Stopping this event in its tracks is a result of a lot of hard police work by ourselves and our colleagues at Durham Constabulary.

“Hundreds of people had bought tickets to attend an event in a disused building and our message is simple, don’t bother turning up.

“The organisers already face police action and if you turn up at this event then you could too face being issued with a fine under coronavirus legislation.”

Anyone wanting to report information about events of this nature can do so online at the ‘Tell Us Something’ pages of the Northumbria Police website.