Revellers keep on raving after riot police back off

A RAVE in the heart of central London continued yesterday after hundreds of revellers took over a disused eight-storey building.

Eight people were arrested after a stand-off with riot police on Saturday night, when bricks and bottles were thrown and a number of buildings and vehicles were damaged.

Some party-goers claimed the police, who at first attempted to stop them accessing the building, were overly aggressive.

But yesterday officers were taking a low-profile approach, standing back and allowing the event to continue.

Organisers said in the face of the economic crisis, unemployment and homelessness, raves, which were common in the late 1980s, were likely to see a resurgence.

Scumoeen: The Squat Monster's Ball was organised by word of mouth and on Facebook, with the location disclosed via a secret telephone number on Saturday.

The party was still going strong it ended around 4.15pm, with hundreds of revellers spilling out on to New Oxford Street and techno music pumping out into surrounding streets.