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Facebook-organised beach party to be held in Torbay, on the UK?s Devon coast on the weekend of 04 July 2008 has been cancelled due to unmanageable numbers making the party a safety hazard. The party was advertised on Facebook earlier this week with 4,000 people declaring that they will be attending, with another 7,500 confirmed as ?Maybe?s?.
Despite the event organiser, Sarah Ruscoe?s insistence that, ?It is not illegal to drink on the beaches of Torbay,? South Devon police commander superintendent
Chris Singer said, ?The event itself would be illegal, as there is not permission to use any of the sites, and correct licences and facilities are not in place.?
The original invitation instructed attendees to prepare by booking the night off, stocking up on music and alcohol and extend the invitation to as many friends as possible. Local police expressed their fear that the incredibly vast number of attendees combined with heavy drinking was likely to create disturbance on a scale they would find difficult to handle. They considered placing a general ban on alcohol sales which would prevent every pub, restaurant or store in town from selling alcohol for the duration of the weekend.
Superintendent Singer continued, ?It may therefore be necessary for me to apply to magistrates to instigate the provisions of Section 160 of the Licensing Act 2003,? adding that such a step, which would be unpopular with publicans and retailers on one of the busiest weekends of the year, would be taken only if it were truly justified.
The
official event page on Facebook has now been updated to state that a licence would be required in order to hold the event safely and legally, with factors such as traffic management, waste disposal and sanitary conditions making the event a safety hazard.
Registered attendees are being given severe warnings about travelling to Torbay in the face of the cancelled beach party, with the page stating, ?Do not travel to Torbay. There will be a high police presence around the coast. People attending beaches in Torbay on the weekend will be asked to leave or be arrested.?
Party goers are urged to advise anyone else they know who was planning to go, that the alcohol-fuelled beach party is no longer going ahead.