POLICE have been slammed for not breaking up an illegal rave. But police say they did not have enough officers to halt the rave in a disused warehouse in Sandhills in Sandy a week ago last Sunday. The rave lasted over 17 hours and attracted over 400 peopl

POLICE have been slammed for not breaking up an illegal rave.

But police say they did not have enough officers to halt the rave in a disused warehouse in Sandhills in Sandy a week ago last Sunday.

The rave lasted over 17 hours and attracted over 400 people. The noise was heard over a wide area of the town with dozens of complaints being made to police.

Now one resident who lives close to the rave site has hit back saying the noise made her life hell.

"On the Saturday morning my council tax bill came through the door and we are obviously paying a lot for policing in Bedfordshire. A few hours later we had the rave," said the 26-year-old housewife.

"I and my neighbours are furious this rave was allowed to continue for so long and the police just stood and watched. The music was thumping away and it was useless trying to get to sleep.

"We are now living in fear this will happen again. This is the second time there has been a rave in the building. The last time they nearly burnt the place down.

"But police were wrong about there being no drugs. I saw people coming out of there on the Sunday afternoon and they looked like zombies.

"White faces with glazed eyes looked out from cars. And those who were walking around just seemed out of this world."

The woman said she had to leave her home because she couldn't get any sleep and fled to her mother's home for peace.

"It was hell and should have been stopped," she added.

"I was driven out my home because I couldn't take the noise anymore.

"Another fear is what people under the influence of drugs and alcohol might do if they wander into the town looking for food or more drink.

"Some of them hang around and I certainly wouldn't walk down some of the alleys near my home for fear of being attacked or raped.

"The police should have done more to try and stop the event. Now the ravers know the police are soft around here and I bet they come back."

Another resident who claims he lives closest to the rave site, Neil Hayman of Brickhill Road, said in an email to The Comet: "We considered it pointless to call the police two years ago and again this time as it seems all they have the power to do is ask them to stop if residents complain.

"These people are breaking and entering, trespassing, causing public nuisance, criminal damage and littering. In short they are breaking the law on a pretty large scale.

"Residents would have been happier to hear police sirens."

Insp John Maries, of Biggleswade police, said: "The safety of officers is a priority when large numbers of people have gathered like this. One of our vehicles was damaged when officers confronted some of the ravers.

"However this behaviour will not be tolerated and hopefully in the future we will have advanced warning so we can prevent raves like this happening again.