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THE huge illegal rave near Caldicot was apparently organised by special phone 'party lines' and on the internet.

Within hours of the rave starting in Wentwood Forest, revellers were posting messages on dance music websites.

And on sites like YouTube today, there are video images of police and revellers clashing in the woods.

More than 3,000 people, some from as far afield as France, Belgium and Holland, descended on the forest for the event which lasted 36 hours - from Saturday night until yesterday morning.

Some internet messagers say they were made aware of the event by a special phone line, but the organisers are still not known.

Dance music fans say many of the outdoor raves across the UK are organised by just a handful of people and word of them spreads like wildfire.

Police arrested five men and seized 18 vans and lorries containing a large amount of audio equipment from the event.

A large stage with a huge sound and laser system in the Five Lanes area pumped out loud music for 36 hours.

Around 1,000 vehicles were parked on the site, blocking many lanes and access roads.

Some ravers said that the heavy rigs carrying the sound equipment caused large potholes in the country lanes.

Some of the rave-goers posted on websites.

One person from Essex called it a "wicked party", while Lise from Cwmbran said: "What a party! Bring on the next one!"

Another poster, Lucus, claimed: "Party was very good, and well organised, used a spot pretty far away from houses, but the police were very heavy handed indeed."

While others boasted of "scrapping" with police, there was also criticism of those who started trouble, which saw officers in riot gear move in to break up the revellers.

Some 175 officers from five different forces - Gwent, South Wales, Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset and West Mercia - were deployed, as was the Gwent force helicopter.

Officers faced a "hostile" reaction, according to Superintendent Jon Burley, as they moved in at 5pm on Sunday to break up the party.

Bottles and paving slabs were thrown by some partygoers, and five males were arrested on Sunday afternoon for suspected public order offences.

They were remanded in custody overnight and were interviewed yesterday.

The last remaining partygoers at the Forestry Commission-owned site were moved on by police at 12.30pm yesterday.

CLEAN-UP BEGINS A team of six Forestry Commission workers plus specially contracted staff were due to begin a clean-up operation of the site today.

Dai Jones, Forestry Commission manager for Wentwood Forest, said the cost to taxpayers would run into thousands of pounds.

Meanwhile officers are examining a "considerable amount" of evidence gathered during the operation.

David Davies, MP and AM for Monmouth, said raves had become an annual occurrence in the forest in the last ten years and were causing "endless misery" for residents.

He urged police to focus their efforts on bringing the rave organisers to book.

Supt Burley, who is leading the investigation, said: "We took a robust approach to the policing of the rave, and we will take a robust approach with the handling of the organisers."

------------------------------------------------------------------------ RAVERS BLASTED Paul Gummer, 49, from Caldicot, drove through the forest out of curiosity after hearing about the rave at 7pm on Sunday.

"There were still people wrapped up in blankets next to the road, fast asleep and oblivious to the police action that was going on around them," he said.

Simon Brook, 51, lives on the outskirts of Wentwood Forest in Penhow with his wife and two sons, aged eight and 12. He blasted the ravers for being "totally irresponsible" with "no respect for the environment or other people".

"They're known to leave a lot of rubbish behind, and for causing access problems with all the vehicles brought into the forest," he added.

9:48am Tuesday 10th April 2007

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