Police deal with large-scale illegal rave at disused coal mine in Retford
They were called to the former Bevercotes Colliery site on Saturday night (23 August).
Last updated 25th Aug 2025
Nottinghamshire Police responded to reports of a large-scale illegal rave at a former coal mine near Retford.
The force received calls about the event at the disused Bevercotes Colliery site near Retford, including concerns about loud noise and disruption, around 11.50pm on Saturday night (23 August).
Inspector Rob Harrison said: “Our priority is the safety of the people in the locality, including on the site itself, alongside that of our officers at the scene.
“We understand incidents like these can and do have a hugely detrimental impact on communities and I want to reassure people that we are doing everything we can, in line with our existing powers, to ensure people’s safety, to prevent any escalation, and to bring this event to a safe conclusion.
“We are working towards a resolution as quickly and effectively as we can."
Insp Harrison added: “As we continue to deal with the incident and closely monitor it, our officers are turning people away from the site.
"We’ve also served a section 63 notice to stop any new people and vehicles from entering the site.
“We are informing people of this legislation and that we will take positive enforcement action if they do not adhere to it.
"Nearby roads have been shut to prevent further people from entering and we have already seized a number of cars that were parked dangerously and were obstructing the highway.
“We're asking the wider community to avoid the area if possible to avoid a build-up of traffic as we continue to deal with this incident.”
No arrests have been made.