Formby beach rave: Arrests after illegal party at National Trust site

Formby Beach is famous for hosting rare wildlife

About 100 people have been branded "astoundingly irresponsible" by police after attending an illegal beach rave.

Officers were called after midnight to reports of loud music at Formby, a popular Merseyside destination, where they seized DJ equipment and lighting.

Two people were arrested on suspicion of possession of class A and B drugs while 64 people were fined for breaching Covid rules.

The site is being cleaned up by workers from Sefton council, police said.

Managed by the National Trust, the sandy beach and neighbouring woodland is famous for its wildlife, including rare red squirrels and lizards.

The beach is a popular destination in Merseyside

Urgent mass testing started this week in the area following local cases of the South African Covid variant, which - like the UK and Brazil variants - is believed to be more contagious.

Deputy Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: "Those who attended the event in Formby last night were astoundingly irresponsible. "

It was "as important as ever that our communities in Sefton and across Merseyside stick to the national lockdown rules", she added.

"It is only by following the rules that we will stop the spread of this deadly virus. If we all pull together, we will be able to return to normality a lot sooner."

In June, five people were arrested when police broke up a lockdown party on the beach.

The area had seen a high number of visitors and the beach was left an "absolute disgrace" due to littering at the start of the summer.