THE FUTURE of next year’s Dance Crusade has been thrown into doubt with a review of the licence for the all-day festival at Thurrock Council next month.
Reports from Thurrock Police, Thurrock Council and Orsett businesses detail a litany of drug-taking, drug dealing, violent behaviour at the one day dance festival in the Orsett Showground on May 30th this year.
The reports stress that many senior and experienced officers had genuine concerns that they were on the verge of massive public disorder at the event.
Police Sgt Neil Carman stated: “I believe that due to the numbers of police deployed, tactics implemented and luck there was no serious injury or significant public disorder.”
Whilst Thurrock Council’s Environmental Health Officer, Terry Sprackling slammed the events organiser.
He said: ” I have organised, arranged and inspected many events in the past, and from a health, safety and welfare viewpoint this event was the
most poorly managed event I have seen.
“There was not enough staff to ensure a safely run event. I suggest that although Mr Lee and his staff tried their best they do not have the knowledge or experience to run this particular type of event. I would not like to see any future event run in the same way.”
In a damning police report, Essex Police have documented a series of concerns from the first meetings with the organiser, Jimmy Lee from Orsett.
1. Supt Ivor Harvey was taken aback at the lack of planning for the event.
2. At the first meeting, the police reported that “Mr Lee’s inexperience became abundantly clear.”
3. Inadequate toilet facilities left “men and women exposing themselves and urinating in public.”
4. By mid-evening, the atmosphere changed. The police were so concerned about public disorder that they called up the Riot Squad.
5. A complaint from the Whitmore Arms that an eighty-strong group of people were urinating, vomiting and swearing as they wandered through the village of Orsett.
In a written submission, the pub also describes people “snorting cocaine’ in the pubs toilets.
The police report catalogues details of the arrests including a man arrested with a large number of tablets concealed in both shoes.
Over a dozen police witnesses are expected to attend the inquiry that begins at 3pm on Wednesday September 8th at Thurrock Council.
This seems totally out of proportion to what I experienced on the day. I was there and it was a relaxed, enjoyable and safe day out with mates. Dance Crusade should be supported in the community, with organisers, authorities and any affected business working together to make next year’s event an even bigger success, rather than shut down the best event in Essex.