POLICE are asking for help from the Powys public to shut down illegal raves that may be planned this weekend, as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions continue to.

Outdoor hospitality – including pubs, cafes, hotels and restaurants – can reopen on Monday (April 26) and outdoor wedding receptions and activities involving 30 people can also resume, while on Saturday (April 24) six people from six different households can meet outdoors.

And, following a number of illegal raves held in Wales in recent weeks – including on the Powys/Herefordshire border at the beginning of the month – Dyfed Powys Police are preparing to possibly break up more.

“Another weekend on the horizon – please help us to prevent raves in your communities by spotting the signs and reporting them,” the force tweeted.

As part of its Operation Flamenco, Dyfed Powys Police is asking residents in the county to be aware of the signs a rave might be happening locally.

This includes:

• Unusual number of vehicles, especially camper vans, vans or trucks, seen locally

• Illegal trespassers may recce sites in advance of a rave

• People approaching landowners asking for land, in the guise of hiring it for acceptable activities

• If you suspect anyone who approaches you for land might not be who they say they are, don’t hesitate to contact police

• Social networks make it easier for organisers to spread the word – rave attendance numbers can grow hugely, and locations change quickly

Revellers who partied on the Powys/Herefordshire border at the beginning of April were actually commended by local residents for tidying up their mess after an illegal rave.

The illegal rave took place in the Golden Valley on Vagar Hill, just outside Dorstone, near Hay-on-Wye, on Saturday night, April 3.

Residents claimed over 100 cars had been parked by people at the illegal rave. Police dispersed the rave and seized music equipment on Sunday.

Dorstone resident Scott Larman attended the site the following morning (Monday) to clean up any waste. However, when he arrived there was little more than a few bin bags to tidy away.

“The partygoers have done a very good respectful job of tidying,” he said.

“There is no mess and when I came up there yesterday everybody I was speaking to was respectful.

“I saw people actually tidying actively during the party and people were genuinely very polite and friendly.

“I'm a local resident and very sympathetic to this sort of thing and think it's quite romantic and exciting. This party has left no trace and I think it has been a good thing.”

Partygoers near Swansea were not praised so highly, meanwhile, after they misled contact-tracers when their actions led to positive Covid-19 cases.

At least six people who went to the gathering at Derwen Fawr, in Swansea, earlier this month tested positive for Covid-19 and 13 are being tested. Efforts to track everyone connected to the party were thwarted by partygoers claiming they had not been in the city and that the party took place elsewhere. Residents at the house at first also denied it had happened, prompting further investigations that involved police.

Officials renewed pleas for people to behave responsibly and organisers of large gatherings both indoors or outdoors and those who plan to attend them have been told not to do so.