Web exclusive: RAVERS in Suffolk have vowed to continue staging illegal parties in the county following a disrupted event at the weekend.Between 600 and 1,000 people set up camp on land at Ingham, near Bury St Edmunds, in the early hours of Sunday.

RAVERS in Suffolk have vowed to continue staging illegal parties in the county following a disrupted event at the weekend.

Between 600 and 1,000 people set up camp on land at Ingham, near Bury St Edmunds, in the early hours of Sunday.

Five people were arrested for minor offences, and no-one was injured.

It comes just weeks after police officers closed down an illegal rave on estate land at Wyken Hall, near Bury St Edmunds, on June 30.

Almost 100 police officers took part in the operation to break-up Sunday's rave but have been accused of heavy-handedness by people attending the event.

An 18-year-old Stowmarket man, who asked to be known simply as Sam, said police injured a number of people during baton charges and some officers refused to give their badge numbers when asked.

Sam, who claimed to know a number of the event's organisers, said: “A friend of mine was assaulted as he was trying to run away from police.

“He has a suspected broken hand but when he asked for the officer's number he just laughed at him and said '118 118',” Sam said.

“Other officers covered their number badges up so you couldn't see them.

“They carried out several charges and started beating people up with batons until we were forced to leave.

“There were a lot of people with cuts and bruises. The heavy handed tactics do not make police any friends. We will continue holding raves.

“They are never going to stop us so they might as well try and sort things out peacefully rather than using a zero tolerance policy.”

Suffolk police has denied they used undue force or that officers refused to reveal their identities.

Superintendent Alan Caton said: “Suffolk Constabulary and our partner forces in this incident took action appropriate to the situation.

“We gave organisers several opportunities to close down the rave themselves, but they failed to do so.

“We asked those in attendance to remove themselves from the land in accordance with the law several times and this request was also ignored, so as criminal offences were being committed we had to go in and close the rave down ourselves.

“Our aim was to disperse revellers, arrest organisers, seize equipment, minimise damage to land and prevent disturbance to local people.

“Police officers who attended the rave were identifiable by their epaulette numbers, and their force crest on their helmets.”