After police raided an illegal nightclub, dozens of people ran away across a rooftop. Thermal imaging from a drone exposed that revellers running from a building in Birmingham.
Police raided illegal nightclub and dozens escape on rooftops
Masked officer stormed into the venue and found 150 people across two floors. The converted party building was fitted with a bar and neon signs, a dance room, and even a recording studio and gym. Some officers were whammed with bottles and one suffered a minor injury as a door was smashed open by people trying to break out. Fifty people are believed to have fled when police came, but about 70 revellers were caught and issued with £200 fines. The DJ could also face a £10,000 fine.
West Midlands Police raided the venue after observing several taxis drop people off there on Saturday night. Assistant chief constable Chris Todd said, “Our officers continue to work long and hard to protect the public and reduce the spread of this deadly virus by breaking up these gatherings, often in really difficult circumstances.”
He added that it’s unacceptable that their officers came under attack, and that one suffered a minor injury, just for doing their job and making laws that are in place to keep us all safe. He also thought that even we were in terms of the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, people must remember that we are still in lockdown. Even the virus is still a real threat to communities across the West Midlands.
The same night but in another place, police discovered a garage workshop in Dudley Port had been turned into a bar. It had a sign on the wall reading The Covid Arms. A dozen people in the temporary bar were allowed to leave. However, the owner fined £1,000.